The Air Force has until nearly the end of April to decide what to do about the GAO decision on the CSAR-X, and the service may take the full time. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told lawmakers that USAF doesn’t want to “short shrift” anyone, so he intends “to give the GAO complaint a full look.” Lockheed Martin already has said that USAF didn’t give it a fair shake. Boeing, on the other hand, says it now would be at a disadvantage and stands ready to press on to meet USAF’s aggressive delivery date. Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, has made it clear that his chief concern is to avoid a possible program delay. However, when Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) pressed Wynne as to whether the HH-47 is “the correct aircraft,” Wynne’s response was circumspect. He said, “I would have to answer it this way: It’s the one that we selected.”
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.