Eurofighter Typhoon Eliminated From S. Korea Fighter Bid

EADS’s Eurofighter Typhoon has been eliminated from a $7.3 billion South Korean fighter program, which failed to meet some requirements, according to Yonhap News.

The reports suggest that EADS did not meet the requirements, while the Lockheed Martin F-35 offer did not meet the government’s strict budget cap.

"A problem was found in the proposal document of one of two final bidders," Yonhap quoted the DAPA official as saying, adding the troubled bidder was known to be EADS.

"The company in question was deemed unfit (to join the final bid)”, the official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.

Seoul is seeking 45 one-seater aircraft and 15 two-seaters, but EADS proposed only six two-seater aircraft, which is costly to produce on the required budget scale.

It also quoted that the estimated budget was in British pounds instead of in U.S. dollars as demanded by Seoul, the news agency said.

DAPA will submit the proposal from the remaining bidders for a final review by top military officials, the official said.

The project to replace Seoul's ageing fleet of F-4 and F-5 has been on for several years now amidst budget balancing by the S. Korean government.

It was initially sought by EADS and U.S. firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin, but Lockheed Martin has reportedly dropped out of the race.

But EADS' hopes were raised in January, when Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland beat U.S. defense giant Sikorsky for a $567 million contract to supply six helicopters to the South Korean navy.