T
he Air Force has asked the Government Accountability Office to reconsider its decision last month that sustained the protest of the losing bidder in USAF’s $1.2 billion KC-135 depot maintenance competition. “We have submitted a request for reconsideration on the Pemco protest,” Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Jennifer Cassidy confirmed to the Daily Report yesterday. Beyond that she said she could not comment. GAO ruled Dec. 27 that the Air Force, per a charge made by Pemco (now Alabama Aircraft Industries) in its complaint, did not properly evaluate the changes eventual-winner Boeing made in its final proposal, which potentially may have added risk. Therefore, GAO recommended that USAF go back and do a more realistic assessment. In the redacted version of GAO’s decision, released on Jan. 16, the watchdog agency said the record lacked documentation of Air Force analysis, “despite Boeing’s own acknowledgment that its final proposal revisions created risk.” This absence was “striking,” it said. Nonetheless, the Air Force is now questioning the decision. “They are arguing that we made an error in our decision and are asking us to reverse it,” Michael Golden, GAO’s managing associate general counsel for procurement law, told Reuters Jan. 16. GAO has until mid April to rule, but may do so sooner.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.