October 4, 2011 Forecast International Aerospace Group – defpro.com
WASHINGTON | The U.S. Air Force announced that release of the draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Common Vertical Lift Support Program (CVLSP) has been temporarily delayed. The draft RFP had been slated for release on or about September 1, 2011.
The announcement stated that the Air Force is undergoing programmatic and budgetary deliberations resulting from the Budget Control Act and the establishment of the congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. The service said that, in recognition of the time and monetary investment required of industry to provide input on the draft RFP, it was temporarily postponing the release.
Under the CVLSP program, the Air Force intends to acquire up to 93 helicopters to replace its fleet of 62 Bell UH-1Ns. An off-the-shelf, in-production rotorcraft is to be procured. Contract award had been planned for FY12. It is not yet clear what effect the delay of the draft RFP will have on the program schedule, presuming that the CVLSP effort survives the budgetary deliberations.
Sikorsky has proposed the UH-60M Black Hawk for the CVLSP program, and has teamed with Lockheed Martin on its bid. Other contenders for the CVLSP contract include the AgustaWestland AW139M, the Bell UH-1Y, the Eurocopter EC 725, and the NH Industries NH90.