European hopes of winning at the second attempt a groundbreaking U.S. military order for refueling planes are fading after the Pentagon scaled back its potential order, cooling the prospect of a new transatlantic "Tanker War," industry sources said. Aerospace titans Airbus and Boeing clashed in an epic contest more than a decade ago and had shaped up for a re-run after Airbus partnered with the world's largest arms producer Lockheed Martin. Lockheed and Airbus will tout their LMXT tanker at the Paris Airshow this week, bringing U.S. reporters onboard the A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport on which the new plane is based.
European hopes of winning at the second attempt a groundbreaking U.S. military order for refueling planes are fading after the Pentagon scaled back its potential order, cooling the prospect of a new transatlantic "Tanker War," industry sources said.
Lockheed's selection of GE Aerospace's CF6 engines comes as the Air Force weighs sole-sourcing a next round of tankers to Boeing or opening up a competition.
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