WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) Tuesday released the following statement amid reports that Northrop Grumman will not bid on the U.S. Air Force contract to replace the nation’s aging tanker fleet:

“I find it appalling that Northrop Grumman is using the threat of no competition to skew what has so far been an open and fair process to their advantage. This is nothing less than sole source blackmail, and it is unfair to the warfighter and to the American people.

“Northrop Grumman’s insistence on biased changes in the last competition lead directly to its cancellation and yet another delay in the procurement of a tanker. I hope the Department of Defense stands firm under this pressure and will not be coerced to provide something other than the best plane for our warfighter.

“Bottom line: we need a new tanker. We have been going back and forth on this for more than seven years and we’ve failed to update the tanker for our troops who are now flying missions in planes that were first delivered in the 1950's. I hope the Department of Defense maintains their schedule so that this competition can finally move forward.”

Senator Roberts has long fought to replace the nation’s again tanker fleet to give men and women in uniform the safest and best plane to complete their mission.