South Korea extends $7.3 bln fighter jet bidding

Seoul: South Korea has extended its window for accepting bids from aircraft makers to supply 60 fighter jets at an estimated cost of USD 7.3 billion.

Arms procurement official Baek Youn-hyeong says bidding will resume Tuesday after an 11-day round ended yesterday with no winner.

The 60 new fighters would replace South Korea`s aging fleet of F-4s and F-5s. Boeing`s F-15 Silent Eagle, EADS` Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin`s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are competing.
Yonhap news agency says no bidders proposed prices lower than the estimated cost. It didn`t cite sources. Baek declined to confirm the report.
South Korea faces rival North Korea over a heavily armed border after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce.

PTI