The United States looked ready on Thursday to announce the winner of a thirty five billion dollars battle between Airbus and Boeing to supply aerial tankers to the American Air Force after two unsuccessful attempts to renew its aging fleet.

The decision, which might come after U. S. financial markets close, points out another central point in the Air Force's nearly ten years long struggle to begin replacing its fifty -year-old KC-135 Stratotankers, which refuel fighter planes and other aircraft in mid-flight to increase the range of military operations.

But according to analysts there isn’t any guarantee of an epic industry battle ending there. The losing bidder will in all probability will file a protest that could defer or overturn the contract.

The competition for supplying 179 air-to-air tankers has given rise to sporadic transatlantic tensions and clashes in Congress between lawmakers anxious to bring jobs to their states.

Congress will not hold sessions in this week, but lawmakers will evaluate from their home districts.

Airbus parent company EADS and Boeing Co, its arch rival in the market for passenger jets, have fought fiercely in public over the contest spending on expensive advertisements while their respective supporters have fought it out at dueling news conferences.

Now, the Pentagon has come close to giving its decision on the third attempt to substitute aging Eisenhower-era tanker planes and according to senior defense officials, the choice between Boeing and EADS could come on Thursday.

Both Boeing and EADS, through its North American auxiliary firm, are offering specially tailored versions of existing twin-engined wide-body passenger jets: the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 767.