Five aerospace companies have been invited to tender

Published: 4/25/2000

The Slovakian government has invited five aerospace companies to participate in the tender to deliver 48 jet trainer planes to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-made fighters. It plans to replace five fighters with one light trainer plane and multipurpose fighter aircraft, which can be used for training, reconnaissance and fire support and defence. The contract, which is thought to be worth more than $500m, was first announced in June 1999 and may reflect Slovakia"s eagerness to join NATO and substantially reduce its military budget. The companies invited to tender are: BAe Systems with the Hawk 100; Aero Vodochody (Czech Republic) with the L-159, Aermacchi (Italy) with its MB-339 trainer, Yakovlev Design Bureau with the Yak-130 and RSK MiG (Russia) with its MiG-AT. Responses to the tender invitation are expected by the end of May, with the Slovakian government probably making a decision in July about an official tender. It is thought that the tender will take place in September with the plane selected by the end of the year. The Yak-130, which is powered by a Slovak produced engine was until recently seen as a clear favourite for the contract. Recent problems however at the Slovak engine maker and what is reported to be considerable persuasion through offsets from BAe Systems appear to have made the outcome much less predictable. www.concise.org 26th May 1999: Slovaks looking for new fighter

Article ID: 1574