A number of bidders are lining up behind the recently released request for proposals for the new combat search and rescue aircraft, dubbed CSAR-X. The program potentially would produce 141 helicopters for an estimated $8 billion contract. Likely candidates include: a variant of Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook, the US101 from the Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland team, and the HH-92 from Sikorsky. According to Gannett News Service, Boeing and Bell may offer the V-22 Osprey. USAF plans to make the contract award in May 2006.
Depot-level maintenance took longer than expected for nearly three-quarters of Air Force aircraft from fiscal 2019-2024, according to a new report, as unplanned repairs rise across the aging fleet. The report, from the Government Accountability Office, also found that the extent of the delays has been masked because officials often revise their target timelines after unplanned work occurs.