Ministry tells air force to rewrite AEW&C requirement
South Korea is expected to release a new tender for four airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft this quarter, hoping to draw more contenders beyond the Boeing and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) proposals evaluated last year.
Industry sources say South Korea's defence ministry has ordered the air force to rewrite its AEW&C requirement to avoid a repeat of the last round, which ended with only the Boeing 737-based solution meeting the requirement after the Elta Systems' Phalcon radar on the IAI-proposed Gulfstream G550 failed its evaluation. South Korea decided in February to relaunch the competition instead of awarding Boeing a sole-source contract, but sources say the air force is reluctant to change its requirement because that could result in the acquisition of a less capable platform.
Sources say radar range and other requirements may be reduced so other platforms can meet the requirement, including the G550, Embraer EMB-145SA and Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye. But Boeing would not bid again because South Korea's acquisition procedures dictate the least expensive solution that meets the requirement must be acquired.
The 737-based solution with Northrop's Mesa radar met the original requirement, but came in over budget when including the Korean equipment specified in the last request for proposals. Boeing tried unsuccessfully to convince South Korea to remove some of this equipment and buy a configuration more like Australia's 737-based Wedgetail, which would meet the budget (Flight International, 25-31 January 2005).
Sources say Boeing now hopes some senior air force officials succeed in an attempt to keep the same requirement and convince the defence ministry to award a sole-source contract if again only one contender again meets the requirement. If the requirement stays the same, sources say only Airbus A320-size aircraft could compete with the 737, although IAI is confident the G550 can do so. In response to a tender released in 2000, Thales proposed an A320 solution, but sources say Thales is not interested in offering it again.
BRENDAN SOBIE/SEOUL
Source: Flight International
