Air Force to amend CSAR-X acquisitions

[unhappycamper]

Air Force to amend CSAR-X acquisitions
By Gayle S. Putrich - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Oct 23, 2008 7:03:03 EDT

The Air Force will add a seventh amendment to the long list of changes on the $15 billion combat search-and-rescue helicopter contract, according to a Wednesday service news release.

The expected amendment will “further clarify how the Air Force will make its source selection decision” in the CSAR-X program, according to the release, which offered no details about how it would do so or what issues the amendment would address.

The Department of Defense’s Inspector General is auditing the CSAR-X requirements development process, but the Air Force release said the amendment and “resulting minor delay” in awarding the deal are in no way related to the IG report that is expected in about 45 days.

“The Air Force has full confidence in the CSAR-X source selection process,” the release said. “The clarification underscores the Air Force’s commitment to a fair and transparent competition, consistent with the Secretary of the Air Force’s focus on acquisition excellence.”

That “focus on acquisition excellence” was most likely slowed to the present crawl with the collapse of the Air Force’s $35 billion tanker deal, which fell apart in the face of a rare protest from Boeing after the Northrop Grumman/EADS team’s modified A330 beat out the perennial favorite’s militarized 767. Pentagon acquisition czar John Young opted to kick the decision on the 179-plane deal to the next administration rather than rush a decision that was likely to be criticized no matter which way the contract went.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/10/defense_rescue_helicopter_102208/%2e