Northrop Grumman resumes work on the Long Range Strike Bomber contract
NewsFebruary 17, 2016
WASHINGTON. After a comprehensive review of the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) contract, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied Boeing and Lockheed Martin's protest of Northrop Grumman's win on the contract.
Officials say the Air Force is confident that the source selection team followed a deliberate, disciplined, and impartial process to determine the best value for the warfighter and the taxpayer.
“It is important to ensure affordability in this program and the ability to leverage existing technology as we proceed forward,” says Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James.
The Air Force plans to procure 100 LRS-B aircraft from Northrop Grumman. The aircraft preserves the president’s options for missions across the full range of military operations from permissive to anti-access/area denial environments. It will serve as the air component of the nuclear triad, providing a visible, and flexible nuclear deterrent capability, officials say.
In a statement provided by Boeing, officials say "We continue to believe that our offering represents the best solution for the Air Force and the Nation, and that the government’s selection process was fundamentally and irreparably flawed. We will carefully review the GAO's decision and decide upon our next steps with regard to the protest in the coming days."
