Friday, July 19, 2013

Sequestration: Air Force cancels Alaska Radar System contract meeting

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) announced Thursday they must cancel a meeting with defense contractors next month at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Alaska due to budget restrictions associated with sequestration. The Air Force 673rd Contracting Squadron and the 611th Air Support Group at JBER planned to meet with contractors on Aug. 7 and 8 to discuss an operations and maintenance contract for the Alaska Radar System (ARS).

The original plan was to host a Site Visit with contractors and have personnel transported from JBER to remote radar sites located at either Point Barrow or Tatalina, with alternate sites at Tin City or Cape Newenham. Transportation to and from the remote sites would have been with the 537th Airlift Squadron via military aircraft.

Due to unforeseen impacts on the USAF flying hour program and travel budgets directly associated with sequestration, we must cancel the Industry Day and associated Site Visit previously scheduled for 7 & 8 August 2013,” the Air Force said in documents released through the Federal Business Opportunities website. “Planning efforts are currently underway to reschedule this event for March/April 2014.

“A follow on date will be announced as soon as scheduling permits,” the Air Force said. “In lieu of the Site Visit, the ARS program office is planning to capture video and pictures of the sites that will be released to industry.”

ARS provides Alaska airspace surveillance, intercept control, and navigational assistance to military and civilian aircraft.

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