Russian state firm to bid for US tanker contract

AFP - Russian state-owned aerospace group United Aircraft Corporation plans to bid for a US Air Force tanker contract, teaming up with a US partner, a lawyer representing UAC said Friday.
  
"They're going to announce Monday a joint venture with an American company to bid on the tanker program," attorney John Kirkland told AFP.
  
US aerospace giant Boeing is the only company that has announced it will bid for the 35-billion-contract to supply the air force with 179 aerial refueling tankers.
  
EADS, the parent of Boeing's arch-rival Airbus, said Friday it was considering a bid for the contract after the Pentagon signaled a flexible deadline to accommodate the European aerospace giant.
  
Just last week EADS was forced to withdraw from the bidding after its lead partner, US defense contractor Northrop Grumman, refused to compete, alleging the requirements unfairly were skewed toward Boeing's smaller aircraft.
  
UAC was launched in 2006 under the administration of then-president Vladimir Putin.
  
The UAC move Friday coincided with talks in Moscow between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Putin, the Russian prime minister.
  
Putin lamented that bilateral trade had plummeted in 2009 as a result of the economic crisis to 16 billion dollars, from 36 billion dollars, although he said the economic potential of the US-Russia partnership remained high.
  
"I appreciate you raising the economic relationship because we are committed to broadening and deepening ties between our two economies, our business leaders and investors," Clinton said.