The Air Force’s top acquisition official, Sue Payton, told Rebecca Christie of Dow Jones Newswires that the service’s review of the operations and support costs for the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program proposals would “do more than just clarify” its evaluation process. Payton said USAF planned to do a “standalone assessment” of each of the three original offerors—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky—revamped operations and support cost data. The Air Force recently received clarification from the Government Accountability Office about its review of protests submitted by Lockheed and Sikorsky and now feels confident that the only issue with its original award to Boeing was its operations and support cost analysis.
The Air Force Historical Foundation has recognized two Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber wings among the winners of its 2025-2026 prestigious annual awards, selecting both for their part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the daring raid on Iran’s fortified nuclear weapons sites.
