New York lawmakers have begun to pressure the Air Force to reopen the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program. Letters have gone to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne from Sen. Hillary Clinton, Rep. Michael Arcuri, and Rep. Maurice Hinchey, expressing dismay that the service plans to “narrowly” view the Government Accountability Office decision on the CSAR-X protests by Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky. The three Democrats are particularly interested in giving Lockheed, with its Owego, N.Y.-based helicopter plant, another bite at the apple.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
