A review of the Australian Army's Project Air 87 armed-reconnaissance helicopters tendering process is to be handed to Australian defence minister John Moore.
An announcement on the outcome is expected before the end of this month. The move follows a protest from Bell Helicopter Textron.
Australia's new head of defence acquisition, Mike Roche, says: "The results of that investigation are to hand, and we are formulating advice to the minister."
Roche told an Australian Senate Joint Standing Committee on Defence, Foreign Affairs and Trade that the review was performed by an "independent agency", believed to be the Federal Attorney General's Department, on behalf of the Australian Defence Inspector General.
Moore referred the project to the Inspector General after Bell lodged an 88-point challenge, alleging improper process by the Department of Defence (DoD) in rejecting its bid, based on the upgraded AH-1Z Super Cobra.
In April, the DoD shortlisted the Agusta A129 Scorpion, the Boeing AH-64D Apache and the Eurocopter Tiger. The Denel Rooivalk and the Sikorsky Battle Hawk were also eliminated.
Bell's challenge calls for Moore to rule on whether the competition should be partially re-opened to allow unsuccessful contenders to participate in the final request for tender stage, due to begin in March. It is believed that the review is sympathetic to Bell's case.
Roche says that the decision is expected to be made public, but that it is unlikely that the review report will be released because it contains commercially sensitive material.
Source: Flight International
