Advertisement

CSAR exercise w. CH-53E
(click to view full)

DID has covered the CSAR-X/PRV competition extensively, from our initial article laying out the key competitors and some scenarios, to the Bell/Boeing V-22 team’s decision to withdraw from the competition, to Sikorsky’s firm proposal of the H-92 Superhawk as its base platform.

Now DefenseTech writes an interesting article, which includes a mention that US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley has transferred combat search and recovery functions back to Air Combat Command at Lanley AFB, VA from AFSOC. David Axe notes that the special ops folks at AFSOC may have been leaning toward the HH-47 Chinook platform for the $8-10 billion contract, due to its similarity with the MH-47G models SOCOM already operates. With budgetary control back in the hands of the USAF, there’s speculation that Sikorsky’s H-92 may have risen to the pole position against the proposed EH-101 and HH-47. Time will tell.

UPDATE: Boeing’s HH-47 CSAR Chinook ended up winning.