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Senator urges deeper review of CSAR bids

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he fears the Air Force is merely going through the motions in its required review of the combat search-and-rescue helicopter award and is pressing the military branch to “open up the books” on the flawed bidding process.

Schumer’s bid comes after Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, joined the ranks of public officials questioning the Air Force’s earnestness of the required Air Force review.

“I strongly believe that the Air Force should use this opportunity to determine if the industry can offer improved proposals within the same time frame that will provide additional value for the taxpayer,” Schumer said in the statement released Monday. “I again urge the Air Force to issue an amended request for proposal, re-open discussions with the bidders, request revised proposals, and hold a fair and open-re-evaluation.”

The Air Force in November awarded the contract to The Boeing Co. The contract for 141 helicopters could be worth about $35 billion over its projected life span.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration of Owego, N.Y., and Sikorsky Aircraft of Stratford, Conn., the two losing bidders, protested the November award, saying the Air Force changed mission requirements midway through the competition without allowing the two to amend their proposals. The Government Accountability Office upheld the protest and ordered the Air Force to review the bid.

Now there’s some concern by Schumer and his counterparts that the Air Force will narrowly view the GAO recommendation. Schumer fears Air Force brass will perform only a perfunctory review of the contract and again award the contract to Boeing.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego could add as many as 200 people to its more than 4,000-employee work force if it wins the work.