Topic: Eads Contract

Northrop Grumman has withdrawn from the U.S. Air Force refueling tanker competition, effectively leaving the multi-billion dollar contract to Boeing. The withdrawal follows a long-standing dispute involving the European aerospace giant EADS (Airbus). The discussion questions why major U.S. defense contractors are increasingly controlled by or partnered with European subsidiaries, potentially compromising national technological patents.

The US military awarded a $35 billion contract for aerial refueling tankers to EADS (Airbus) over Boeing, sparking controversy. The hosts question the logic of buying European products when the US dollar is at a historic low. They speculate the deal might be a political "makeup" for past disputes over government subsidies in the aerospace industry.