Historical report, published from archived WKRG coverage.
U.S. Rep. Jo Bonner sharply criticized the Defense Department’s decision to cancel the aerial-refueling tanker competition in September 2008, according to an archived WKRG report.
Bonner said the decision left the Air Force with an aging KC-135 fleet and no immediate replacement plan. He objected to ending work that had been underway since 2006 and argued that a procurement should be carried across presidential administrations by career military professionals.
He also cited the Air Force’s ongoing operational use of tankers and urged officials to move forward. This report records Bonner’s position at the time; it is not an assessment of the decision or the procurement’s later outcome.