Now that the bids are in for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker, the Pentagon’s formal source-selection process has begun. As part of that, the clamps have come down on what the Air Force may disclose. “In order protect the integrity and independence of this process, we are prohibited by the Federal Acquisition Regulation from providing further detail,” Air Force spokeswoman Col. Debra Millett tells the Daily Report. However, she added, the Defense Department “is committed to a free, fair, and open competitive process within the parameters of those rules and regulations.” The Air Force expects to award the KC-X contract sometime this fall, she confirmed. The KC-X program is projected to have a value of at least $35 billion over its lifetime.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.