UK SELECTS FOUR COMPETITORS TO BID FOR NEW MEDIUM HELICOPTER CONTRACT

The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) has down selected four manufacturers to move to the next phase of its £1 billion (US$1.15 billion) new medium helicopter acquisition.

- 

Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf

Airbus, Boeing, Leonardo and Lockheed Martin were all notified on 31 October that they had successfully passed the DPQQ assessment, with those excluded including Bell and the lesser known AceHawk Aerospace, based out of Teeside International Airport, Northern England. In May industry competitors were asked to submit responses to a dynamic prequalification questionnaire (DPQQ) in order for an initial assessment phase to be carried out and a shortlist of eligible bidders approved.

Next steps in the process will see a full set of requirements being released by the MoD and industry receiving an RFP in 2023. "The second half of the competition, in which we will ask the selected suppliers to provide more detailed responses, is due to be launched later this financial year," added a MoD spokesperson in a 2 November statement.