Armed Forces
Will Sikorsky Eventually Take Part in the Helicopter Tender?
MoD Secretary of State, Czesław Mroczek, has stated that the consortium which offers the Black Hawk helicopters would like to take part in the tender which is related to procurement of the multi-purpose helicopters for the Polish Army. A request for extension of the final offer placing deadline has been submitted. Earlier Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and PZL Mielec consortium claimed that it will not take part in the tender, unless its requirements remain unchanged.
Minister Mroczek said in his statement, quoted by the Polish Press Agency, that MoD has received a letter, in which the Sikorsky company declares its will to take part in the tender, asking for extension of the offer placing deadline. Relevant decision of the MoD is to be taken within a few days.
Earlier the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and PZL Mielec consortium stated that it is “unable to place an offer” in the proceedings aiming at procurement of the multi-purpose helicopters unless the requirements are changed. In the letter to the Minister of Defence and the Polish President, the President of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation claimed that the requirements of the tender are constructed in a way, which allows only single bidder to meet them.
Ministry of Defence replied that “ordering Party – Ministry of Defence – is the subject which defines what is needed by the Armed Forces. Bidders are not there to show what they have for sale”. According to MoD the final requirements of the multi-purpose helicopter tender have been officially known from May 2014, and “the SAC company has such helicopter in its product range”. According to the statement of the Ministry, the “other bidders” have declared that they will place their offers in accordance with the requirements.
The tender which aims at procurement of 70 multi-purpose helicopters for the Polish Army involves the Sikorsky International Operations Inc., Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o. consortium, offering the Black Hawk helicopters, PZL Świdnik facility with AW-149 and consortium „Program EC725 Caracal Polska” which consists of Airbus Helicopters and Heli Invest Sp z o.o. companies, offering the EC-725 Caracal helicopters. The final offer placing deadline has been, at the beginning of October, postponed to 28th November 2014. Winner of the tender is to be selected until the end of February next year, in accordance with what Minister Mroczek stated during the meeting of the Parliamentary Commission of the National Defence.