Watchdog clears U.S. Air Force in tanker data mix-up

Inspector General Gordon Heddell said a review by his office showed the Air Force "fully complied" with federal law after it learned of the data release, and that all relevant evidence confirmed the Air Force's determination that the data release was inadvertent and not a violation of federal law.

In a letter to seven U.S. senators, Heddell said that either Boeing or EADS could take their concerns to the Government Accountability Office, the contracting officer, or federal court if they believed there was an impropriety or that they were adversely affected by the events.

A copy of the letter was released by the office of Senator Patty Murray.

The decision could pave the way for a tanker contract award by the U.S. Air Force sometime in the next two to three weeks, but possibly as early as February 25.

Senators Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Washington state Democrats, and five other senators who are backing Boeing's tanker bid, had asked the Pentagon inspector general last month to investigate whether a clerical error would mar the already politically charged competition.

Air Force officials insist a data mix-up last November, which gave each company internal data on the other company's tanker bid, was unintentional and involved no pricing data that could have comprised the procurement.

The high-stakes competition has fanned transatlantic tensions and jockeying among U.S. lawmakers eager to bring jobs to their states.

Boeing and EADS submitted their final bids last week.

Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale told reporters this week that the Air Force was requesting nearly $900 million for the tanker program in fiscal 2012, and expected to award a contract in "a month or so."

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

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