In order to win the contest to replace America’s ageing fleet of air tankers, Northrop Grumman and its European partner EADS will have to convince government officials that they are no more foreign than their US rival Boeing.

Just weeks before the $35bn competition to build about 179 new refuelling aircraft for the US air force restarts, Ron Sugar, chief executive of Northrop, said the contest was not between US and foreign teams.