Bidders Resubmit Offers For South Korea’s FX Competition

Defense companies Lockheed Martin, Boeing and EADS on Thursday submitted their renewed bids for South Korea’s multi-billion dollar combat aircraft F-X competition. The aircraft makers submitted their offers once again after The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), the state procurement agency, cited errors in relevant documents by Lockheed Martin and EADS before reopening the bidding. The initial deadline was set for June 18 and the deal worth a whopping $7.3 billion will see Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle, Lockheed’s F-35A and EADS’ Eurofighter compete to win the major contract. "We will evaluate each bid in accordance with due process," the DAPA said in a statement. "We will ensure fair competition and, with thorough evaluation and proper negotiations, we will select the aircraft that we believe most benefits our national interest". According to DAPA, a team of 15 expert evaluators will review the bids in nearly 300 categories, covering such areas as each fighter jet's operational capabilities, from July 9 to 14. And in late July a team of 45 Air Force evaluators will conduct flight tests on more than 500 categories, including the fighters' interoperability and their compatibility with South Korean armed forces. Due to administrative snags, DAPA has pushed the deadline to pick a winner which was initially set in October. "With the bids having been submitted, we now have to go through testing and negotiations," Oh Tae-sik, head of program management agency within the DAPA, told reporters Thursday. "These won't be easy steps. Depending on how long they take, the final decision (on the fighter jet) may be put off until into the next administration (in early 2013)".