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.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.