The US Air Force is in the final phase of discussion before awarding a contract for the next-generation bomber, and expects an announcement very soon.
“We’re in the final closing phase and it’s going well and you should expect to hear something pretty soon,” William LaPlante, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, said during an event hosted by Defense one on Tuesday.
Even if the Pentagon is forced to operate under a yearlong continuing resolution, the Air Force will proceed with the contract award for the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) on schedule, he noted.
Industry is still holding its breath for the long-delayed contract, which could come anytime in the next few months. The Pentagon had planned to make the decision on who will build the new bomber fleet first this summer, then early fall. Most recently, one Air Force official estimated the announcement sometime in the next few months.
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The Pentagon is taking measures to ensure the LRS-B program does not go the way of A-12 by focusing on using mature technologies rather than launching new developments. The program is also unusually advanced in terms of design and testing; the Air Force already has two robust prototypes in hand.
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