The U.S. Air Force has initiated steps to pursue the source selection process for a contract to support the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization program amid plans to cancel the initiative, Defense News reported Friday.
Major Emily Grabowski, a spokeswoman for the Air Force, told the publication in a statement that the service had received on June 22 the revisions to the JSTARS recap program’s final proposal.
“The Air Force wants to be postured to move forward with JSTARS recap, if required,†Grabowski said.
“Therefore, we are continuing source selection while we continue to work with Congress on the way forward,†she added.
The Senate backs the service’s plan to terminate the JSTARS recap effort, while the House would direct the military branch to award a contract to engineer, manufacture and develop new JSTARS recap aircraft through its defense spending measure.
The Air Force initially planned to purchase 17 new aircraft through the JSTARS recap program to replace its fleet of E-8C planes but announced in February its plans to drop the program in favor of the Advanced Battle Management System that seeks to connect the service’s existing drones and aircraft to perform ground surveillance missions.
