The Pentagon is adding another layer of review meant to better protest-proof its major acquisitions, and the first programs set for greater scrutiny are the U.S. Air Force’s $15 billion combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter replacement plan and the $35 billion tanker fleet contract award.

As part of the new review, Army and Navy officials will conduct peer reviews of the Air Force acquisition programs before, during and after contract decisions, the Pentagon confirmed Oct. 28.

The new review started Sept. 30 for all programs slated to cost $1 billion or more. Pentagon officials have been looking for more ways to prevent more sustained protests such as the ones that have held up both the CSAR-X and tanker programs. Contractors say the peer review plan is an idea that Shay Assad, the Pentagon’s director of procurement, has been pushing for.

“Shay Assad has been talking about OSD implementing this type of review,” said Randy Belote, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman, the contractor partner with EADS’ Airbus that is fighting for the tanker.

The Northrop team won the initial contract award, only to see the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) sustain a protest by rival bidder Boeing. But Boeing had its own GAO protest problems with the CSAR-X program.

The GAO sustained two protests of the Air Force award to Boeing for the HH-47 Chinook variant by competitors Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky. The GAO said the Air Force failed to sufficiently evaluate lifecycle costs.

The Air Force had planned to again award the contract this fall, but now an enhanced service review has pushed that back – likely until the spring. Another review hanging over the CSAR-X acquisition is the Pentagon Inspector General (IG) investigation of possible Air Force irregularities in changing requirements during the acquisition.

Photo: Northrop Grumman