Tom Kington
Leonardo-Finmeccanica Head Optimistic About US T-X Trainer Bid
FARNBOROUGH, England — The CEO of Italy’s Leonardo-Finmeccanica has said the quality of his firm’s products may be enough to persuade India to drop plans to blacklist it from future tenders.
“You have to respect the Indian decision, but I think in a patient and clever way we can recreate conditions because we have important systems that India needs, and in every field I hope we can reopen a good relationship with India,” Mauro Moretti told Defense News at the Farnborough International Airshow.
In May, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar announced Leonardo-Finmeccancia would be blacklisted in India in the wake of allegations it offered bribes to win a €560 million (US $620 million) Indian Air Force helicopter contract in 2010.
At the time, the firm played down the announcement, saying its business was “very marginal” in India, despite fears it would lose a valuable torpedo contract from the country.
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