buglerbilly
04-03-10, 12:25 PM
OSD Official: Many Platforms Being Examined for CSAR
By JOHN T. BENNETT
Published: 3 Mar 2010 22:01
Pentagon officials are studying how the U.S. military might use a range platforms operated by all the services - not just the Air Force - for combat search and rescue missions, a senior official said March 3.
Matthew Schaffer, deputy director for conventional forces in the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office, said his shop is conducting a comprehensive review of the air service's years-long effort to field new helicopters for the CSAR mission.
Schaffer told a Precision Strike Association-hosted conference in Arlington, Va., that U.S. defense cost estimators have separated the combat search and rescue mission's top 10 percent of requirements from the other 90 percent.
Pentagon officials have determined the Air Force should focus its next-generation CSAR program on the "90 percent" of the mission requirements, Schaffer said.
DoD officials, he said, are examining "concepts of operations and doctrinal changes" that would clear other airframes operated by other services "to get to the remaining 80 percent."
Schaffer told reporters OSD is examining several future CSAR force mixes. Asked by Defense News about those possible mixes, Schaffer cited only one: using the once embattled CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor for the search-and-rescue mission.
During his prepared remarks to the conference, Schaffer said CAPE is examining what "range of platforms" the U.S. military might use for the search-and-rescue mission. He responded by saying outside of Air Force helicopters, there might be "other platforms" across the military that can do the mission.
Pentagon officials, he said, are mulling potential "concepts of operations and doctrinal changes" that will shape the Air Force's next try at buying a fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft. He said a major focus within OSD will be determining how to "get at" the remaining "10 percent of the requirement."
In a blunt declaration, Schaffer told Defense News the Air Force will not be forced to surrender the CSAR mission as some have predicted will happen.
Further, he said OSD is examining whether it makes sense to use "multiple aircraft" for CSAR missions typically performed by a single airframe. No decision has been reached on that, Schaffer said. The Joint Staff, he said, is leading a study on how air service officials should proceed with the CSAR helicopter replacement program.
By JOHN T. BENNETT
Published: 3 Mar 2010 22:01
Pentagon officials are studying how the U.S. military might use a range platforms operated by all the services - not just the Air Force - for combat search and rescue missions, a senior official said March 3.
Matthew Schaffer, deputy director for conventional forces in the Pentagon's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office, said his shop is conducting a comprehensive review of the air service's years-long effort to field new helicopters for the CSAR mission.
Schaffer told a Precision Strike Association-hosted conference in Arlington, Va., that U.S. defense cost estimators have separated the combat search and rescue mission's top 10 percent of requirements from the other 90 percent.
Pentagon officials have determined the Air Force should focus its next-generation CSAR program on the "90 percent" of the mission requirements, Schaffer said.
DoD officials, he said, are examining "concepts of operations and doctrinal changes" that would clear other airframes operated by other services "to get to the remaining 80 percent."
Schaffer told reporters OSD is examining several future CSAR force mixes. Asked by Defense News about those possible mixes, Schaffer cited only one: using the once embattled CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor for the search-and-rescue mission.
During his prepared remarks to the conference, Schaffer said CAPE is examining what "range of platforms" the U.S. military might use for the search-and-rescue mission. He responded by saying outside of Air Force helicopters, there might be "other platforms" across the military that can do the mission.
Pentagon officials, he said, are mulling potential "concepts of operations and doctrinal changes" that will shape the Air Force's next try at buying a fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft. He said a major focus within OSD will be determining how to "get at" the remaining "10 percent of the requirement."
In a blunt declaration, Schaffer told Defense News the Air Force will not be forced to surrender the CSAR mission as some have predicted will happen.
Further, he said OSD is examining whether it makes sense to use "multiple aircraft" for CSAR missions typically performed by a single airframe. No decision has been reached on that, Schaffer said. The Joint Staff, he said, is leading a study on how air service officials should proceed with the CSAR helicopter replacement program.