Northrop Grumman wants 'facts known' on tanker bid

Northrop Grumman Corp. is planning a counteroffensive this week to correct what company officials believe is a campaign of misinformation surrounding the Air Force's decision to award the California-based firm and EADS, the European consortium behind Airbus, a lucrative contract for aerial refueling tankers.

Ronald Sugar, Northrop Grumman chief executive officer, said the firm will attempt to correct the record about statements made by Boeing Co., the losing bidder, and its supporters about the Northrop-EADS platform.

"We relish the opportunity to make the facts known," Sugar said Monday. "I believe that as the facts are known and more widely understood that the process will play out and we'll be back building tankers here."

Starting Monday and expected to continue over several days, the company is running an ad in several publications explaining why its A330 was selected over the Boeing 767 for the Air Force's refueling mission.

A spokesman for the firm said they are penning op-ed pieces in areas that benefit economically from the program. In the upcoming weeks, Northrop officials will reach out to members of Congress to dispute arguments by Boeing supporters, including statements that the selection of the Airbus plane amounts to a significant outsourcing of jobs to Europe.

"The only reason why we've chosen to speak up here is that ... we've seen so much misinformation, and I would call [it] even disinformation, we thought it was important to set the record straight," Sugar said.

Boeing has protested the decision for the contract, worth as much as $40 billion, to GAO, which has until mid-June to conduct its review.