Denmark Launches F-16 Replacement Program

The Danish Ministry of Defense has issued a Request for Binding Information (RBI) on April 10 in order to evaluate the four candidates for the replacement of its current fleet of 30-year old Lockheed F-16AM/BM fighters.

The four bidders for the competition are Eurofighter Typhoon, Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet, Lockheed's F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and Saab Gripen E. At present, Danish air force has 30 F-16 operational.

The RBI had been planned in the Defence Planning 2013-2017 and the bidders are expected to submit their response to the request in July 2014 to the Director of the Nyt Kampfly Program (New Combat Aircraft Program).

An evaluation report will be provided to the Minister of Defense as a basis for procurement proposals at the political level. Planning calls for a final decision in mid-2015, followed by Parliamentary approval and, if obtained, negotiations with the selected manufacturer.

Director of New Combat Aircraft Program, Lone Lindsby said about the RBI, “I am pleased that we are sending the request for information, because it is an important milestone in the program. We are trying to keep the planned schedule, and we are very focused on providing a clear and transparent decision support that provides the best possible conditions for the final decision in this fighter procurement process. “

The quality of the Evaluation Process will be assured externally by Deloitte Denmark (part of the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited DTTL) in cooperation with RAND Europe (an US-owned company). This should help ensure that the process is conducted in accordance with the principles of traceability, transparency, integrity and equality.