Three Kansas Congressmen are demanding answers from the US Air Force.

Senators Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback along with Congressman Todd Tiahrt today met with Air Force officials to find out why the recent tanker contract was awarded to a foreign company not Boeing.

The contract is to build refueling tanker aircraft for the u-s..

The Air Force announced Friday the 40-billion dollar deal would go to Northrop Grumman's European partner, Airbus.

Roberts, Brownback and Tiahrt said after the meeting that they remain "Unconvinced that the airbus team will provide a better aircraft than the men and women of Boeing."

They go on to say "The right decision could have brought up to one-thousand jobs to the Wichita area. We will continue to question the Air Force and support Boeing Wichita.."

Officials say Northrop's ability to make bigger planes factored into the decision.

Boeing had been supplying refueling tankers to the air force for nearly fifty years.