Posted: Wed, Aug 25, 2004, 1:28 PM ET (1728 GMT)
A top Air Force official suggested Tuesday that a contracting ban on Boeing’s launch vehicles unit may be lifted by the end of next month. Air Force undersecretary Peter Teets told reporters that Boeing was making good progress on ethics reforms and was working out an agreement with the Pentagon that would permit the Air Force to lift the ban in the "near term". The Air Force imposed the ban last summer in the wake of an investigation that showed that Boeing officials accessed proprietary documents from rival Lockheed Martin during the initial EELV competition. The Air Force also transferred seven launches that has previously been awarded to Boeing to Lockheed. The contracting ban has led the Air Force to delay the next round of EELV contracts, called Buy 3, until at least late this year.

Related Links:

•  AP article
•  Bloomberg News article (via Los Angeles Times)
•  St. Louis Business Journal article