The Pentagon won’t continue the CSAR-X combat search and rescue helicopter program and has cut $144 million that had been planned for the aircraft in Fiscal 2010. In announcing the CSAR-X termination April 6, Defense Secretary Robert Gates questioned the need for a single-service, single-purpose program. The $89 million left in the fiscal 2010 budget request will be used for “a requirements review,” presumably after the need for the CSAR mission is settled in the just-commenced Quadrennial Defense Review. Because the Air Force hasn’t been replacing any of its combat-loss or retired MH-60G Pave Hawks—it has been waiting for the new aircraft—the service will start upgrading the existing fleet and will buy two new UH-60 Black Hawks through the Army to supplement what’s left.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.