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| Lockheed Martin F-35 (File Photo) |
By JUNG SUNG-KI
SEOUL — Bidding on South Korea’s US $7.3 billion program to buy 60 new combat jets will end June 28 after 10 days of maneuvering among three competitors.
This is the third and final phase of the Asian country’s decadelong “F-X” plan to acquire 120 advanced aircraft before 2020 to replace older F-4 Phantoms.
The three bidders are Lockheed Martin with the F-35A, Boeing with its F-15 Silent Eagle and EADS for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
They are required to submit the prices of their aircraft and other spare parts to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The bidding lasts through June 28, and participants will be required to rebid multiple times per day, said DAPA spokesman Baek Yoon-hyung.
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| EADS Eurofighter Typhoon (File Photo) |
“The bottom line is if the bidders propose affordable prices that go under the allocated budget of $7.4 billion,” Baek said. “Even if a bidder offers a price within the budget scope, the DAPA could request the bidders to tender prices again and again so as to encourage competition.”
The price proposals are expected to sway the race since the three bidders have run neck and neck in the evaluations of operational requirements and offset proposals, according to industry observers.
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