USAF starts final CSAR-X evaluation after bidding deadline passes

By Stephen Trimble

Three competitors today submitted bids to the US Air Force to win a $15 billion combat search and rescue helicopter (CSAR-X) contract in the third attempt to successfully settle the deal.

The Boeing HH-47 Chinook won the original competition on 9 November 2006, but the contract was overturned by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

The two losing teams – Lockheed Martin/Agusta Westland’s US101 and Sikorsky’s HH-92 – successfully protested the USAF’s second CSAR-X competition, forcing the service to solicit for a third round of bids.

All three bidders confirmed submitting bids today, the deadline for the USAF’s extended solicitation process. USAF officials will evaluate the proposals and still plan to select a contractor in the second quarter. However, the incoming administration that took office today could change the timeline.

Boeing says in a statement to FlightGlobal.com that the “proposal continues to focus on the proven strengths of the HH-47 platform, an active production line and the exceptional performance of the aircraft in combat and in humanitarian operations”.

Lockheed and Sikorsky also confirmed that they have submitted updated proposals.

The terms of the competition were developed over a roughly two-year period. The USAF had hoped to award a contract last month, but acquisition officials detected a potential fall in the wording of the service’s terms for the evaluation criteria. The delay pushed the final decision for the CSAR-X selection to the new administration.

© Reed Business Information 2009