UPDATE 1-Air Force, Northrop ask GAO to dismiss Boeing protest

(Recasts with Air Force and Northrop filings, adds details)

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Wednesday filed separate requests to dismiss parts of a Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) protest against a $35 billion aerial tanker program won by Northrop last month.

The Air Force decision has sparked controversy in Congress, where some lawmakers have vowed to block funding for the project, which they argue will shift valuable aerospace jobs to Northrop's European partner, EADS (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), the parent of Airbus, Boeing's longtime rival.

Lt. Col. Jennifer Cassidy said the Air Force filed its motion with the Government Accountability Office just after 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT). She gave no further details, citing the need to protect proprietary information and a GAO protective order.

In its separate filing, Northrop said many claims raised in Boeing's protest motion were "untimely" and should have been raised before the January deadline the Air Force set for bids.

"We argue that much of what Boeing complains about was contained in the KC-X request for proposals and should have been questioned, and even perhaps protested, before the submittal of Boeing's final bid," said spokesman Randy Belote.

The latest moves in the battle over a contract for 179 new aerial refueling aircraft came as Boeing stepped up its public relations campaign to wrest the contract away from Northrop.

On Wednesday, Boeing published full-page advertisements in 41 U.S. newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, that said the process was "flawed by countless irregularities."