WASHINGTON (AP) - Public officials from Washington state said Friday they were shocked and disappointed at the Air Force's decision to award a long-awaited contract for aerial refueling tankers to Northrop Grumman and EADS rather than Boeing Co.

"It's just a disaster," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., one of Boeing's biggest supporters in Congress.

"I'm extremely disappointed," Dicks said. "It's just one of the worst things in my whole life. I am just shocked over this."

Gov. Chris Gregoire called the Air Force decision unfortunate for Boeing and the state of Washington.

"Boeing and its workers build the best planes in the world. They will continue to enjoy great success with their 787 Dreamliner and other innovative products still to come," she said, calling the Chicago-based company a valued corporate citizen of the state.

Other public officials expressed outrage at the decision.

A joint statement issued by U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and U.S. Reps. Dicks, Rick Larsen, Jay Inslee, Smith, Jim McDermott and David Reichert, said:

"We are outraged that this decision taps European Airbus and its foreign workers to provide a tanker to our American military.

"This is a blow to the American aerospace industry, American workers and America's men and women in uniform.

"Boeing has 75 years of experience in building the tankers our military flies. Washington state's workers are second to none and so is their product.

"At a time when our economy is hurting, this is a blow not only to our state, but the more than 40 states across the country who would help build this national plane.

"We will be asking tough questions about the decision to outsource this contract. We look forward to hearing the Air Force's justification."

In a separate statement, McDermott said, "Some questions have been raised about new criteria being introduced late in the process and so we will withhold judgment until we learn more about the claims and potential impact," he added.

"We've always believed and supported a full and fair competition by the U.S. Air Force for the tanker contract, because Boeing can compete against anyone, and we will wait to see if that is really what happened here."

A spokesman for the union representing about 24,000 engineers and technical workers at Boeing said it also was disappointed.

Boeing, the state's largest private employer, would have built the tankers, based on its 767 jetliners, at Everett, Wash.

Boeing spokesman Jim Condelles said the company won't make a decision about appealing the award until it is briefed by Air Force officials about their decision.

Boeing believes it offered the best value and lowest risk, he said.

Gregoire and other officials said they look forward to the Pentagon briefing to justify a decision that came as a surprise to lawmakers and industry analysts.

The Defense Department had previously identified Boeing tankers as highly rated, cost-effective updates to the tanker force, said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.

A spokesman for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, the union that represents about 24,000 engineers and technical workers at Boeing, said it also was disappointed.