The Air Force’s top officer confirmed that the service is considering a sole-source arrangement with the Army to buy approximately 90 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to patrol the nation’s ICBM fields.
If the Air Force can “make the business case for this by procuring an off-the-shelf piece of equipment, I think it would be foolish for us not to consider the benefits of that,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters during a Nov. 23 breakfast briefing.
“The bottom line is, in a cost constrained environment, if there are ways to procure needed capabilities that limit the amount of develoment required, why would we not at least consider that?” Schwartz added.
Officials have previously said that the Air Force is considering invoking the United States Economy Act of 1932 to buy new Common Vertical Lift Support Platform (CVLSP) helicopters. Officials have said the act would allow the Air Force to buy 93 helicopters without the need for competitive bids. The new aircraft would replace the Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] UH-1Ns currently in service.
Schwartz said the Air Force hopes to have a decision in place next year on what will replace both the Hueys and the HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopter fleet. Top officials have previously stated that platform commonality in the two fleets is seen as a major advantage to the military.
Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Jack Miller said in a Nov. 24 e-mail service officials are still studying the acquisition strategy. He emphasized that no decision has been made.
Under the proposal, the Air Force would add its order for the helicopters to an Army contract with Sikorsky, a division United Technologies [UTX]. The Army would sell the aircraft to the Air Force. Black Hawks cost the Army $12 million to $13 million apiece, but Air Force modifications could cost several million more, according to industry officials.
By contrast, an AugustaWestland AW139 runs in the neighborhood of $10 million to $12 million and would be a good fit for the Air Force’s needs, according to Dan Hill, an executive at the company. He told Defense Daily in a Nov. 23 telephone interview that the Black Hawk “seems to be a 125 percent or 150 percent solution” that would also cost much more to operate than his company’s helicopter.
“We just need a competition to make that case,” he added.
Hill sees the program as one of his company’s potential U.S. sales opportunities, while EADS North America and Bell are also said to be interested in the deal. Several industry sources say that one or more of those companies could lodge a protest if the Air Force goes ahead with a sole-source buy.