Few programs have exemplified the need for a comprehensive, performance-based—yet transparent—contracting process more than the Air Force’s attempts at acquiring a replacement for the aging tanker fleet. The process began once again on September 25 with the release of the draft request for proposal. With 33 separate attachments, there is no lack of documentation in the initial release. The system requirements document itself is 136 pages.

Volumes of paper and documentation are no guarantee of an ironclad process that will withstand the rigors of the reviews, selection and oversight that will follow.

Stakes are high for this program from a pure business and economics perspective, for jobs, prestige, but most important, for the warfighter. It can’t be stressed too many times the age of our tanker fleet, and each year the cost of maintenance cuts deeper into the budget lines and pushes funding for new replacement aircraft farther and farther to the right. Everyone agrees the time for this to stop is now, but that is about where the agreements end.

It epitomizes the perfect storm of trying to drive a contract through all of the sometimes competing wickets of performance and price. It is time to show tangible results in the transformation of the acquisition process.

Although I suspect that no matter the Air Force’s decision, there will be a protest. With the magnitude of the project, that is perhaps understandable. Pride will come from having a process that stands up to oversight and scrutiny and delivers the warfighter their first new tanker in 40-some years. (Perhaps the RFP should be released on the tanker-after-next in a year or two as well to try and get ahead of the process!)

Any thoughts on the trend of contract award followed by a protest? Are protests becoming more predictable and common, and if so, is this necessarily a bad thing? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts—from both the military and the industry side of things—about the award and protest cycle.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any comments or suggestions.