According to the GAO’s assessment of the CSAR-X contract award, the Air Force used “inconsistent” criteria when it evaluated the lifecycle costs presented by the three bidders—Boeing, Lockheed Martin-Agusta Westland, and Sikorsky. The contract has been on hold while the GAO conducted its review. The Air Force, which has 60 days to respond to the GAO’s recommendation, deferred questions until it has time to review the decision.
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.