The Air Force is moving forward with plans to buy an off-the-shelf aircraft to perform close-air support and light attack missions at a low cost, and could potentially award a contract before fiscal year 2020.
The service released Aug. 3 a notice stating the intent to solicit proposals for a commercially developed light attack aircraft (LAA) that could “operate globally in the types of Irregular Warfare environments that have characterized combat operations over the past 25 years.” The notice, released via Fed Biz Opps, says that a formal solicitation is expected to be released in December, with a potential contract award by the end of fiscal year 2019.
The light attack effort, also known as OA-X, was launched in 2017 by the Air Force strategic development planning and experimentation office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The service planned the experiment with the intent to demonstrate the potential of an off-the-shelf aircraft that could perform a series of missions in permissive environments, and relieve fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft for use in the high-end fight.
The Air Force examined the feasibility of four aircraft through a series of initial tests conducted last summer at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. In February, the service announced that two turboprop aircraft had moved onto the second phase of the demonstration: Sierra Nevada Corp. SNC and Embraer’s A-29 Super Tucano and Textron’s [TXT] AT-6 Wolverine. These two platforms underwent flight tests this summer at Holloman until a fatal accident involving a Super Tucano prompted the service to preemptively cancel the remaining sorties.
The service shared a draft request for proposals (RFP) with Sierra Nevada/Embraer and Textron following the conclusion of the second phase of the experiment, according to an Aug. 6 Air Force press release. Acquisition officials indicated that there are still items that need to be finalized before the release of the final RFP, “but it is prudent to begin the dialogue with industry in order to adjust the RFP as appropriate in order to meet the timelines.”
The contract will be awarded “using other than full and open competition to the successful offeror,” the FedBizOpps notice said, adding, “Sierra Nevada Corporation … and Textron Aviation are the only firms that appear to possess the capability necessary to meet the requirement within the Air Force’s time frame without causing an unacceptable delay in meeting the needs of the warfighter.” Proposals or bids are not invited at this time. Sierra Nevada and Textron did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The fiscal year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes $300 million in advanced procurement dollars for the light attack experiment. The effort has cost the Air Force $18 million so far, said a service spokesperson.
The Air Force has not commented on the cause of the accident that killed Navy pilot Lt. Christopher Carey Short and injured a second pilot. A service Safety Inspection Board review is currently underway, and will likely be followed by an Accident Inspection Board review, according to an Air Force spokesperson.
The second phase of the experiment also involved tests related to logistics and maintenance support, Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, told reporters last month at the Pentagon. The service has continued to work with its industry partners to fill any additional data needs since the flight tests were canceled, he added.
Supporters of the effort have noted that a new light attack aircraft could benefit partner national interoperability in areas such as Afghanistan. Navy and Marine Corps officials have also expressed an interest in the OA-X effort.
The Air Force also announced today that the light attack distinguished visitors’ day has been rescheduled for Sept. 14 at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. It was originally scheduled for July 18 at Holloman, but was postponed in the wake of the accident.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the service “must develop the capacity to combat violent extremism at lower cost” in an emailed statement. “Today’s Air Force is smaller than the nation needs and the light attack aircraft offers an option to increase the Air Force capacity beyond what we now have in our inventory or budget,” she added.