The total estimated costs of the Air Force’s five-year pilot program to judge the merits of a commercial fee-for-service air refueling option are still “uncertain, but are likely to be significant,” stated the Government Accountability Office on Monday. In a new report, GAO says the most recent estimates lie between $850 million and $900 million, based on information that the Air Force provided Congress in August. Analysis back in February gauged the costs at around $1.3 billion, while looks at cost back in 2008 pointed to $2 billion, according to the agency. Congress mandated this pilot program in Fiscal 2008 defense legislation. USAF has already issued two requests for information to industry. There exist today no commercial boom-equipped refueling aircraft, so a period of 18 to 36 months will likely be necessary to develop this capability so that then five-year assessment may then proceed, said GAO.
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
