CSAR-X Do-Over

CSAR-X Do-Over: The Air Force’s top civilian acquisition official confirmed Thursday that the service is seeking another go-around for the troubled combat search and rescue helicopter replacement program. Sue Payton told Pentagon reporters that calls are being made to the original bidders and to Congress to ensure everyone understands where the program stands now. Payton said USAF hopes to post a draft version of “amendment five” to the original request for proposals by Oct. 20 and a final version by early November. The door is open now, unlike the last makeover when USAF limited contractor proposals. Payton said, “It’s a full and open input on anything they would like to propose.” She wants to have contractor proposals in hand before Christmas. However, Payton emphasized, “We are not going to rush to an award.” She plans to have more feedback sessions than in the original competition, and there will be some new people involved in the source selection process (see below). Although Payton would like to award the CSAR-X contract in early spring, she said it would depend on what the bidders bring to the table—new designs or platform improvements. Payton acknowledged that a 2014 initial operational capability date now is more likely than the original 2012 date.

10/5/2007

Verbatim

To Be Clear
“Just like in my business, the issues that go badly get all of the attention. I think, to be clear with you, there are many things that are managed well every day in the Air Force.”
—John Young, Pentagon acquisition executive, speaking to defense reporters on the state of Air Force acquisition, Washington, D.C., Nov. 20, 2008.

Verbatim

F-22 Options
“They have two choices. On January 21st, they can obligate the $90 million and decide there's some chance ... that they will buy the airplanes and they'd rather preserve the option to buy [them] at no additional cost to the taxpayer. Or, they could chose not to obligate the $90 million and accept that they still have a decision to be made between then and March 1st. But that decision may cost the taxpayer more money.”
—DOD acquisition czar John Young on how releasing only $50 million of the $140 million authorized by Congress to keep the F-22 production line active until March 2009 still preserves options for the new Administration, Capitol Hill, Nov. 19, 2008.