The Government Accountability Office in its May 3 report (see above) also commented on the Boeing HH-47 deployability performance factor, which has been labeled deficient. According to GAO, the Boeing baseline aircraft—the MH-47G—barely met the three-hour window for buildup to flight-ready status after airlift. Its time was two hours and 58 minutes. Air Force evaluators called the buildup demonstration “marginal” and noted a few exceptions (deleted as propriety). However, GAO did note that Boeing intended to incorporate a number of time-saving measures not installed on the baseline version and indicated that the Air Force believed these measures would enable the Boeing helicopter to meet requirements. GAO called the determination “not unreasonable.”
The U.S. military is carrying out intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions along the southern border and off the coast of Mexico using U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint and U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft as part of the Pentagon’s effort to secure the southern border at the direction of President…