WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force plans to release a draft request for proposals next month in its bid to end U.S. reliance on Russian rocket engines, William LaPlante, the service's acquisition chief, told lawmakers on Tuesday.
LaPlante told a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee that the Air Force was determined to move away from the use of the Russian-built RD-180 engines that power the Atlas 5 rocket used to launch many U.S. military and intelligence satellites.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chris Reese)