Boeing Says It Will Continue To Consider Options

The Government Accountability Office has denied The Boeing Company’s protest of the Long Range Strike Bomber contract award following a comprehensive review of the source selection process. The Air Force was confident that the source selection team followed a deliberate, disciplined and impartial process to determine the best value for the warfighter and the taxpayer.

“We look forward to proceeding with the development and fielding of this critical weapon system. This platform will offer the joint community the required capability needed to meet our national security objectives and the evolving threat environment,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “It is important to ensure affordability in this program and the ability to leverage existing technology as we proceed forward.”

The service plans to procure 100 LRS-B aircraft. 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.

"Our Nation needs this capability," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. "The current bomber fleet is aging. The technology advantage the U.S. has enjoyed is narrowing. This new bomber will provide unmatched combat power and agility to respond and adapt faster to our potential adversaries."

Boeing said in a statement that the company continues 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.

"Given the significance of the LRS-B program, it could not be more critical that the government procure the most capable bomber to serve the warfighter, at the greatest value to the American taxpayer," Boeing said.

Prime contractor Northrop Grumman said it is ready to get back to work on the airplane. "Northrop Grumman is pleased that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has denied Boeing's protest and reaffirmed the Air Force's decision to award Northrop Grumman the Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) contract. This confirms that the U.S. Air Force conducted an extraordinarily thorough selection process and selected the most capable and affordable solution," the company statement said.

"The LRS-B is vitally important to national security and we are delighted to be resuming work on the next-generation Long-Range Strike Bomber."

(Source: Air Force news release, Boeing and Northrop Grumman statements)

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