Talking with reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday, Sue Payton clarified the KC-X evaluation factors, saying price is not the most important part of the competition. The Air Force acquisition chief distributed a chart that shows cost/price is less important than mission capability, proposal risk, or past performance. She said the service deems cost as equal in importance to the integrated fleet air refueling assessment factor. Because the Air Force has a lot riding on its top acquisition priority, she declared that the service does not want to be bamboozled by unrealistic cost estimates. “Industry partners have a tendency to lowball” their cost proposals, Payton noted. The chart states explicitly that the other factors, collectively, “are significantly more important than Factor 4 [cost].”
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.