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Australia probes rigging of major helicopter contract
Canberra, Dec 03: The Australian government is investigating claims of an attempt to rig a 5 billion (3.6 billion dollars) helicopter contract in favour of US company United Technologies Corp`s Sikorsky Aircraft, an official said.
Canberra, Dec 03: The Australian government is investigating claims of an attempt to rig a 5 billion (3.6 billion dollars) helicopter contract in favour of US company United Technologies Corp's Sikorsky Aircraft, an official said.
A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Robert Hill told today the Inspector General of Defence had been called in after a senior scientist complained of pressure to skew the bid assessment to favour Sikorsky's Black Hawk helicopter.
''This investigation was initiated by some allegations,'' said the spokeswoman, but she declined to give further details. Hill has refused to say if the Inspector General's report will be publicly released.
The row is related to a project known as air 9000, potentially worth about a 5 billion dollars over 30 years, that aims to purchase further troop lift helicopters and also rationalise the Australian Defence force's helicopter fleet.
The global helicopter industry is largely a five-way race in which Sikorsky remains a top military supplier with its main product, Black Hawk.
Other players include Eurocopter, a unit of Eads, and Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter. Sikorsky, which has supplied the White House with presidential helicopters since the 1950s, said earlier this year that it was in talks with about 10 governments over new helicopter contracts.
Bureau Report
''This investigation was initiated by some allegations,'' said the spokeswoman, but she declined to give further details. Hill has refused to say if the Inspector General's report will be publicly released.
The row is related to a project known as air 9000, potentially worth about a 5 billion dollars over 30 years, that aims to purchase further troop lift helicopters and also rationalise the Australian Defence force's helicopter fleet.
The global helicopter industry is largely a five-way race in which Sikorsky remains a top military supplier with its main product, Black Hawk.
Other players include Eurocopter, a unit of Eads, and Textron Inc's Bell Helicopter. Sikorsky, which has supplied the White House with presidential helicopters since the 1950s, said earlier this year that it was in talks with about 10 governments over new helicopter contracts.
Bureau Report