The Navy has delayed the release of its Request For Proposals (RFP) for its envisioned unmanned carrier- launched aircraft until a budget review process is completed this fall, the service said Wednesday.
The long-awaited RFP had been expected by the end of the summer amid other delays as the Navy and senior defense official reviewed the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) program.
A major meeting on the program of the Defense Acquisition Board scheduled for Sept. 10 has also been canceled, said Jamie Cosgrove, a spokeswoman for Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
The UCLASS system has for some time been the subject of debate, particularly in terms of its requirements. Several members of Congress have criticized the Navy, saying the service has not sufficiently weighed the importance of a strong strike capability in addition to it providing intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance (ISR).
Cosgrove said, however, this delay in the RFP was prompted more by a question of affordability.
“Defense officials will be including UCLASS in its ISR portfolio review to be conducted in conjunction with the normal budget review process this fall. Determination regarding the release of the UCLASS RFP will be made based on the results of this review,” she said. “This decision is driven by discussion on affordability, not requirements.”
USNI News initially reported the latest RFP delay.
The Navy earlier this year released a draft RFP to the four industry teams competing on the program, and took the unusual step of keeping it from the public, classifying it as “for official use only.”
The four companies are: Boeing [BA], General Atomics, Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Northrop Grumman [NOC].