more at
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/22351/usaf-offers-new-details-about-new-air-force-ones-but-doesnt-back-up-trumps-cost-cutting-claims
A recently released U.S. Air Force document justifying the decision to hire
existing VC-25A aircraft, commonly known as Air Force Ones, offers new details
about the actual configuration of the highly specialized planes. At the same
time, details of any substantial cost savings, as U.S. President Donald Trump
claims he personally negotiated earlier in 2018, are conspicuously absent.
Air Force Material Command, which is overseeing what is formally called the
Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program, released the updated
main contracting website, FedBizOpps. In 2015, the service first announced it
would formally give Boeing the deal to design and build the two future Air Force
One aircraft, now known as VC-25Bs, without holding an open competition.
...
Any time an arm of the U.S. government wants to award a contract to one specific
firm without opening it up to competing bids, the entity in question has to
submit a formal statement justifying why it is the only practical way to
performance and unique ability to perform whatever the work is, as well as how
those factors combine to give the American taxpayer the best possible deal.
There is usually some explanation about how the time it would take to find
another suitable company would cause an unacceptable delay that would either
cost more money, potentially result in sub-par work, put lives at risk, or some
combination thereof.
For example, the Air Force's written justification for the Presidential Aircraft
Recapitalization program notes that the existing pair VC-25A aircraft will have
a concurrent availability rate through 2025 of just 28 percent, meaning the
planes will both be mission ready less than one-third of the time, on average.
The two VC-25Bs will have an expected availability rate across their life cycle
of around 56 percent, better-ensuring one is always to provide important
executive transport services to the President, his closest advisors, and family.
...
But, so far, there continues to be no evidence that the cost of the Presidential
Aircraft Recapitalization program has ever been anything but approximately $4
savings in the upfront development and procurement costs or long-term
sustainment expenses. In its latest justification of its contracting processes
in relation to the project, the Air Force does not even imply otherwise.
And with Trump now saying he wants a new and potentially more complex paint
scheme for the jets, as well as other luxury features, he may ultimately end up
adding to the price tag.
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