UPDATE 1-EADS won't face "payback" if it protests-general
March 02, 2011 at 15:16 PM EST
WASHINGTON, March 2 (Reuters) - Europe's EADS is entitled to protest the loss of a new refueling plane contract to Boeing Co if it believes the procurement was flawed, and would not face retribution for doing so, a top U.S. Air Force official said on Wednesday.