The US101 team, led by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, N.Y., released a statement yesterday following the Air Force’s clarification of its plan to issue a revised request for proposals, saying it’s entrant for the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program would be “at least $3 billion less expensive” than the original CSAR-X award winner, Boeing’s HH-47. In its statement, Team US101 called “a full and open recompetition” the “most appropriate path forward” and vowed to help USAF field the CSAR-X as soon as possible. The statement said, “We remain committed to meeting the program’s original [initial operational capability] date of September 2012.”
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…