: The Air Force has asked the Pentagon’s independent cost estimators to determine what the RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft should really cost, says David Van Buren, the service’s acquisition executive. Speaking to reporters in the Pentagon June 18, Van Buren said he expects this “should-cost” analysis to be completed in August or September. He said this review was prompted by the Air Force’s dissatisfaction with the state of the Global Hawk program (see USAF Voices Global Hawk Frustrations from Monday’s Daily Report column). For example, the Air Force believes turnaround times for repairs take far too long.
The $4.26 billion Small Business Innovation Research contracting program widely used by the Air Force went into hibernation as the government shut down Oct. 1, but unless lawmakers strike a deal on reforms, the program could reach an abrupt end.
