The Air Force has said the United Launch Alliance is an urgent need, Roger Krone, president of Boeing’s network and space systems, told reporters Monday at AFA’s Washington conference, but the program’s fate is still in the hands of the Federal Trade Commission. Boeing has stipulated conditions to the final agreement, which it has called a Buy III contract. Krone expects the agreement to be settled in mid-October and said doesn’t see any impediments to that time frame, although he admitted to being “firewalled” from Lockheed Martin’s requirements.
Aircraft readiness will suffer if Congress does not approve some $1.5 billion worth of spare parts the Air Force requested in its annual Unfunded Priorities List, sent to Capitol Hill last week, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said.