Gov’t to cancel Airbus contract?
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
25.11.2015 12:56
A leading figure in Polish Defence has said that the new government will likely cancel the contract for military helicopters signed by the former cabinet.
Airbus's Eurocopter EC-725R2 Caracal. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
“All signs indicate are that the tender for a multipurpose helicopter will be void and consequently repeated,” Michał Jach, head of the parliamentary Defence Committee told Polish Radio on Wednesday.
Poland signed a tender with French Airbus Helicopters to purchase 50 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters in April 2015.
Three firms were competing in the tender for military helicopters. Apart from Airbus rival offers were submitted by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Agusta Westland PZL Świdnik based in Poland.
“At the moment the Defence Ministry is working on analysing the tender documentation. We have to decide quickly, because the Polish armed forces need equipment. The problem with the helicopter tender was that the [previous] ministry repeatedly said that the armed forces will receive the best helicopter on the market. Later, it turned out that the choice was made because other competitors were excluded because they didn’t fulfil formal requirements.
“Therefore the decision was taken not due to the condition and the operational and technical capabilities of the equipment, but formalities. This is unacceptable.
“[Airbus’s] offer was the worst in this respect,” Jach said. (rg/rk)