TURKEY TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF HELICOPTER TENDER ON TUESDAY
By Cihan News Agency
Zaman Online, Turkey
Dec 12 2006
Turkey is to announce the result of its helicopter tender, which has
been carefully followed by international defense industry giants.
The tender, worth at least $2 billion dollars, will top the Turkish
Defense Industry executive committee meeting headed by the prime
minister in Ankara on Tuesday.
The committee is to decide on either the Italian Mangusta2 Westland
proposal or the South African Denel ‘Rooivalk’ proposal for the attack
helicopter deal.
The South African helicopters are using French engines which may be
an obstacle because of discord over the Armenian ‘genocide’ between
the two countries.
The contract is for the purchase of 50 helicopters and then
co-production of 20 helicopters with an option for 21 more.
Turkish authorities had cancelled a previous tender in 2004 when a
deal for US Bell Textron’s King Cobra collapsed over price, technology
transfer and licensing problems.
In a June Defense Industry Executive Committee meeting, Turkey
short-listed the Italian and South African companies for the $2
billion dollar attack helicopter deal.
Eurocopter of France and Russian Kamov were eliminated in the tender.