Being a member of the Helicopter Association International, (HAI) I recall reading a contract bidding submission on the website regarding an announcement from AMC Hq at Scott AFB, asking for provision of VIP transportation to DoD officials on the east coast around the DC, Maryland and Virginia areas and laid out the specs. This was back in 2005/6
Read in Verticalmag issue Jan 2008, about an article on Air Service Center Helicopters providing 407 and 412 for short off shore VERTREP (similar to the BI AS-365N3 Dauphines providing support to the RN ships offshore here) and they also provided an S-76A and Bell 222 for transportation of flag rank officers and general staff from Navy and Air Force around the DC area in 2007.
Therefore I conclude like with the Lakota program, the USAF are probably looking for a commercial off the shelf a/c like our COMR system over here. However the only snag is there's a hint about using the aircraft for combat ready status.
I had seen on the old FAS website about 10 years ago when they were describing and showing pics of world combat aircraft, under the UH-1 area, there were several pics from old and new from US Army to USAF and USN and USMC variants and one that caught my eye was an artists concept of a UH-1Y in USAF markings!!
