The Air Force’s top acquisition official, Sue Payton, told Rebecca Christie of Dow Jones Newswires that the service’s review of the operations and support costs for the combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program proposals would “do more than just clarify” its evaluation process. Payton said USAF planned to do a “standalone assessment” of each of the three original offerors—Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky—revamped operations and support cost data. The Air Force recently received clarification from the Government Accountability Office about its review of protests submitted by Lockheed and Sikorsky and now feels confident that the only issue with its original award to Boeing was its operations and support cost analysis.
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.