15 May 2007

CSAR-X Redux

Listen, we all know that they will find a way to make it look like the Boeing -47 is the best bird for the mission and that no one did anything wrong when they selected it. The Ch-47 has been the largest hunk-o-junk since the mid-60s and nothing has changed. Hell, they make the Ch-53 family look like mimosas make me feel during Sunday brunch. The -47 is a pig and they cost way too much to operate.

Replacing the MH-60s with a CH-47 is like replacing the F-14 with a C-5. You just can't make it work ... not even on paper...not even drunk.

If they do look at this with an open mind and call a spade a spade then we will not get the -47, The Boeing team has about 45 years of data going against them. The cost to operate, fix and supply this bird is a major undertaking but mark my word, the USAF's next CSAR helo will be the damn -47
I understand that SOCOM wants to have some redundancy in aircraft (it already uses the -47 for army special ops) but this is not the right bird for this mission and our young men and women will die as a result of them using this for Combat Search and Rescue.


So here it is, the USAF is going to look into the issue... ok right.

with quotes like this, who needs a re-competition:
The Air Force's preference for Boeing is likely to survive the second round of bidding, even though the Chinook costs more than its competitors, said Lexington Institute defense consultant Loren Thompson, who advises Lockheed Martin and other Pentagon contractors.
"Air Force leaders believe that there is almost no evidence they made a major mistake in selecting the Boeing helicopter," Thompson said. "The implication is that Boeing is likely to win the resolicitation, just as it did the original competition."

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Too bad your passion for the safety of our troops is not matched by your knowledge of the subject.

HerkEng said...

Curt,
Please enlighten me on the subject. You are right, I have been out of the loop for a tad...Set me straight.


Herk