HBC Surprised to Learn That LAS Contract Was Already Awarded to Foreign Contender

One really has to wonder what is REALLY behind the colossal mess that appears to surround the USAF LAS program... ANN has just learned that HBC was told that the contract for the LAS program, for which they had taken the government to court, HAD ALREADY been awarded a week ago... without publicity and in apparent secrecy. According to HBC, they 'learned during this week's initial status conference at the Court of Federal Claims that the U.S. Air Force awarded the Light Air Support (LAS) contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation and its Brazilian manufacturer Embraer last week.'

Announcement Seen As A Slap At Iranian Sword-Rattling

The Obama Administration has confirmed persistent rumors of the approval of a significant sale of F-15 Eagle fighter jets to the Saudis. According to a statement released by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Joshua Earnest, "The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have signed a government-to-government agreement under the Foreign Military Sales program to provide advanced F-15SA combat aircraft to the Royal Saudi Air Force. Valued at $29.4 billion, this agreement includes production of 84 new aircraft and the modernization of 70 existing aircraft as well as munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance and logistics.  These F-15SA aircraft, manufactured by The Boeing Company, are among the most s

Army Looking to Heavy Use of UAS Capabilities

The US Army is using a hybrid-type acquisition approach to develop a helicopter-like, Vertical-Take-Off-and-Landing Unmanned Aerial System with a so-called ARGUS wide-area surveillance sensor suite designed to beam back information and images of the surrounding terrain, service officials said. Beginning in May or June of 2012, the Army will deploy three Boeing-built A160 Hummingbird Vertical-Take-Off-and-Landing Unmanned Aerial Systems, or VTOL-UAS, to Afghanistan as part of a Quick Reaction Capability, an acquisition approach aimed at delivering cutting-edge and emerging technologies to theater to add capability and inform requirements while simultaneously developing a formal Program of Record approach, said Lt. Col. Matthew