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| Airbus Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) |
By JUNG SUNG-KI
SEOUL — The selection of a foreign contractor to supply the South Korean Air Force with four aerial refueling tankers is just around the corner.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said April 14 that it started price bidding for the 1.48 trillion won (US $1.36 billion) program. Competitors are Boeing, Airbus Defence and Space, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
Boeing offers the KC-46 Pegasus, while Airbus pitches the A300-based multirole tanker transport. Israel is proposing the 767-300ER aircraft.
"The evaluation will go through the end of May before selecting a final contract in June," a DAPA spokesman said, adding that two tankers are to be put into service in 2018 and the remainder the following year.
Price may be the most important factor, according to observers.
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