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June 14, 2011

BAE Systems pulls out of Polish defense tender

By Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters

BAE Systems pulls out of Polish defense tender

British Aerospace Hawk T1

From Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters:  Europe’s biggest defence contractor BAE Systems (BAES.L) has pulled out of the race for a 1.45 billion zloty ($530.5 million) contract to supply Poland with 16 training-combat aircraft, the company said on Tuesday.

Officials said Korean Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) T-50, the only supersonic aircraft in the tender, met all Warsaw’s technical requirements, with Italian Alenia Aermacchi’s (SIFI.MI) M-346 Master its only potential rival.

 The deadline for final offers is July 29.

 "This is our final decision," Steve Mead, BAE Systems’ Vice-President for Central and Eastern Europe, told Reuters.

"We have offered a trainer with combat capabilities, while Poland’s defence ministry in the end went for combat first, and training second," he added. . . .

Britain’s BAE Systems was competing against companies from Italy, Finland, the Czech Republic and South Korea in the initial stage of the tender.  (photo: Adrian Pingstone)

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