LAS Letter

InsideDefense.com reported yesterday that Sierra Nevada Corp., which was awarded an Air Force contract to build aircraft for the Afghan military and then had the contract revoked, had filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims seeking reinstatement of that contract. Further:

This is the second lawsuit filed against the Air Force over the contract. The first lawsuit was brought by Sierra Nevada's competitor, Hawker Beechcraft, after the Air Force eliminated it from the contract competition and then denied the company an explanation for that elimination. Hawker subsequently dropped the suit after the Air Force revoked Sierra Nevada's contract.

The $355 million contract that would supply 20 Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft to Afghanistan has also garnered the attention of the House Armed Services Committee chairman, who is now monitoring allegations that the contract lacks safeguards.

Taco Gilbert, one of Sierra Nevada's vice presidents, told Inside the Air Force today that his company filed the lawsuit only after it had exhausted every option to understand why the contract was withdrawn. Senior Air Force officials were notified of the impending litigation today and late yesterday, he said, adding that Sierra Nevada recently tried to legally obtain the preliminary details of the Air Force's investigation into the contract-awarding process but to no avail. The head of Air Force Materiel Command is overseeing that investigation.

"We were denied access to the commander-directed investigation," Gilbert said. "Had we seen it prior to this, we might not have had to go to this step."

The story also highlights a growing concern among lawmakers that the Air Force procurement process for this particular contract is marred by a lack of safeguards:

Eight congressmen from Arkansas and Kansas recently called on House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) to keep an eye on the Air Force contract, which they claimed lacks safeguards and could produce aircraft with the potential to endanger the pilots that use it. Reps. Rick Crawford (R-AR), Tim Griffin (R-AR), Mike Ross (D-AR), Steve Womack (R-AR), Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and Kevin Yoder (R-KS), sent a signed letter to McKeon on June 7.

"We ask you for your assistance in obtaining an explanation from the Air Force of the entire requirements development history for the Afghanistan LAS acquisition and to include the development of any applicable [Memorandum of Requirements]," the letter states. "This information may help restore needed confidence in this significant procurement effort. We appreciate your consideration of our request and look forward to working with the Armed Services Committee to gain clarification from the Air Force."

We now have that letter. Click here to view it.

And here is more of our coverage on the LAS issue:

Hawker: Ejection Seat Standards An Issue In Light Air Support RFP (April 13)

Sierra Nevada Sees Delay In LAS Effort After Contract Cancellation (Feb. 28)