On February 25, 2010, Venable Government Contracts partner Rob Burton was interviewed on Federal News Radio, 1500 AM on the new released request for proposal in the long-running multibillion-dollar aerial tanker competition to replace the Air Force's aging KC-135 refueling planes. In the interview, Burton provided commentary on the new RFP and the effect this years-long battle will have on procurement and acquisition as a whole.

According to Burton, no matter who wins the contract battle, those who deal with procurement have sort of lost the war. "It's a tragedy . . . [and] the reason I say it's a tragedy is because it's been years in the making. All the problems, the litigation, the fact that you've got lobbyists up on the Hill promoting either Boeing or Northrop Grumman. You've got full page ads in the Washington Post -- at least [you did] a year or so ago," said Burton. "Both companies [were] campaigning, if you will -- having a media campaign and a lobbying campaign for a government contract. I don't think that's a good model. That's why I say it's a tragedy because it really deteriorated into that type of media campaign."

Burton said the Defense Department has now simplified its request and asked for something more basic, which is a dramatic shift from what was contained in the first RFP. He added that, after reading the new RFP, however, one thing did surprise him -- the agency didn't really make the overall process simpler.