Gus Vlassis/ATHENS
Greece has asked Dassault Aviation and the Eurofighter consortium to improve their competing bids for a 49% stake in Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI). The Greek national economy ministry says both submissions are "acceptable", but has asked its representative, Salomon Brothers, to seek revised offers.
With Athens closing on a contract for 60 Typhoons, Eurofighter has long been the favoured bidder for HAI, but Dassault is pitching its offer independently of this, linking it to a deal for its own Rafale. The rival HAI bids were received on 20 September but, with Greece looking for more cash, a decision is not expected until early next year.
Eurofighter's offer is linked to the supply of 60 aircraft worth 2 trillion drachmas ($5 billion), plus Greece's entry into the industrial grouping, and until recently the consortium - made up of EADS, BAE Systems and Alenia - was regarded as the certain buyer of HAI.
Dassault, which supplies Mirage 2000s, to the Greek air force, claims to have made a competitive offer, and is aiming to win political allies ahead of the final decision. Its bid also includes minority owner Aerospatiale Matra - now absorbed into EADS, and therefore with a foot in both camps - Rafale engine manufacturer Snecma, and Greek businessmen Socrates Kokkalis and Thomas Liakounakos.
The Greek bidders will play an important role in the sale: both are in the Dassault camp, but are also linked to Eurofighter. Kokkalis's company, Intracom, specialises in electronics, while Liakounakos has represented Boeing military aircraft and the Germans in selling their Leopard main battle tank.
Source: Flight International
