Le Bourget, France —The Air Force expects to move out shortly on its Common Vertical Lift Support Platform helicopter replacement effort, David Van Buren, USAF acquisition executive, said here Tuesday at the Paris Air Show. He noted that there are many potential competitors for the program, and told the international audience that they should be heartened by the fact that the Air Force is willing to look at foreign offerings, as it did on the KC-X tanker program and with the C-27J transport. Likewise, a request for proposal for a new rescue helicopter will go out in 2012, and Van Buren expects the contract award for that platform in 2013.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.