Sessions Threatens To Ground $40 Billion Tanker Project

A U.S. senator from Mobile is threatening to ground the $40-billion Air Force tanker contest until the playing field is leveled.

The military reportedly showed Boeing their competitors pricing information after they protested last year's win by Northrop Grumman and EADS. Both Northrop and Alabama lawmakers have requested Boeing's pricing information -- but have been unable to get it.

Now Senator Jeff Sessions is telling the Air Force that the contest will not go forward until it turns over that information.

On Thursday, he threw in an amendment to the annual defense spending bill that says the money earmarked for the tanker program will not be released until the Boeing's pricing data is released.

Many local eyes are on every step of the tanker deal because Mobile could benefit greatly from a Northrop win. Northrop and its European partner EADS promised to assemble the tankers at Brookley Field and put thousands to work.

Mobile Mayor Sam Jones also joined the battle for Boeing's pricing information. Jones sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates saying "the competition appears to be tainted from the start."

When EADS chose Mobile in site selection in 2005, they also committed to having a presence in the Port City.

On Thursday morning, their subsidiary Airbus Military, opened a 30-thousand square foot maintenance center. The facility will support the company's military aircraft customers with a work staff of 30.

Allan McArtor with Airbus says the new center is a commitment kept to the people of this city. "When we win the tanker again, we'll build the tanker and freighter aircraft in Mobile as well. We're committed to Mobile one way or the other."

In 2007, Airbus also built an engineering center at Brookley Field.

The tanker contest is set to be decided next summer. EADS has committed to building 3 commercial planes a month as well as tankers if they win the deal.