Various news reports Wednesday claimed that the Air Force has decided to let the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program award remain with Boeing, while others claimed that the service planned to resolicit all three original competitors—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky—but not reopen the competition to the world. Apparently there was some confusion about comments from Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne following a Tuesday Capitol Hill hearing. An Air Force spokesperson told Daily Report Wednesday, “We are not reopening the competition, and we’re committed to working closely with the GAO to resolve any issues and get the Air Force a CSAR aircraft as soon as possible.” That rules out a brand new competition, but does not rule out sticking with Boeing or taking a fresh look at all three proposals.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.