US Air Force budget has $8 bln for tankers by 2011

Posted on: Feb. 7th, 2006 || Source: today.reuters.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

WASHINGTON, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush's defense budget plan for fiscal 2007 earmarks $250 million to start replacing the military's aging fleet of aerial refueling tankers, a top U.S. Air Force budget official said on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Frank Faykes told reporters the Pentagon's longer-term budget plan foresees spending $8 billion on tanker "recapitalization" through fiscal 2011.

Congress in 2004 killed the Air Force's proposed $23.5 billion agreement with Chicago-based Boeing Co. (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) to buy and lease 100 767s as refueling tankers after a former top Air Force official admitted to inflating the price as a "parting gift" to Boeing before taking a job with the company.

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