The Air Force has yet to decide whether it will accede to the Government Accountability Office recommendation to re-compete the combat search and rescue replacement helicopter program awarded to Boeing last fall, much to the surprise and dismay of Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky. However, the only official statement so far indicates USAF does not necessarily think a new CSAR-X competition will be necessary when it applies “the intent” of GAO’s recommendations “more narrowly.” The Air Force says it needs more time “ to fully review the details” before it can “determine an appropriate plan of action.”
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.