Still On for the Fall

Still On for the Fall: The Air Force remains on track to announce the winner of its combat search and rescue helicopter contest this fall, Maj. Gen. David “Scott” Gray, director of Global Reach Programs in the Air Force’s acquisition shop, said yesterday. “We have got warfighters out there that need this capability and they need it soon, and so we are working hard on the acquisition side to make that happen,” he said during a meeting with reporters in the Pentagon. Gray said it is “unknown” whether the contract award will come prior to the US Presidential election in November. Although the Air Force doesn't expect to see the Pentagon Inspector General's report on a probe for irregularities in the formulation of CSAR-X requirements until around February 2009, he said the IG might provide a draft version in September. Unless this draft points to a serious issue, the Air Force does not intend to wait on the final report before awarding the CSAR-X contract, Gray said. “To date, we have heard absolutely nothing from the DOD IG that causes us concern,” he said. The Air Force still plans to procure 141 new rescue helicopters to replace its aging fleet of 101 HH-60G Pave Hawks. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Sikorsky are competing; the program has an estimated total value of $15 billion. The Air Force wants the first squadron in the field no later than September 2014. Gray said that CSAR-X program officials have applied lessons from the Government Accountability Office’s ruling in the KC-X tanker protest. While program officials “feel pretty comfortable that there is nothing externally that needed to be fixed,” they want to improve the way the service documents [program] decisions, “so there are no disconnects,” he said.

—Michael C. Sirak

8/20/2008

Verbatim

Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.