Lockheed Martin already has submitted a new protest to the Government Accountability Office over the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program, declaring Monday that the company believes “the Air Force’s amended CSAR-X RFP does not comply with the corrective action recommended by the GAO earlier this year.” The Air Force released a final amended request for proposals on May 31 and expects the original three offerors—Lockheed, Sikorsky, and the original award winner Boeing—to submit revised proposals by the end of next week. Service officials also issued a 13-page response to offeror questions and complaints, disputing any criticism. Lockheed acknowledged the Air Force’s “urgent need for new CSAR aircraft,” but stated that a “broader re-evaluation of bids, consistent with the GAO’s recommendation, will result in an outcome that would better serve our nation’s warfighters.”
In his final keynote address before retiring as Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, Roger A. Towberman reflected on the progress of the Space Force and the growth still ahead at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 12, 2023. Watch the video or read the transcript.