DASSAULT HAS abandoned its bid to secure a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply the Royal Air Force's, next-generation maritime-patrol aircraft.
The French company withdrew its Atlantique 3-based offer on 12 January, following discussions with the MoD which led it to believe there was " ...no value in pursuing its tender", say Whitehall officials.
Staff Requirement (Air) 420 for a replacement maritime-patrol aircraft has effectively boiled down to a head-to-head competition between British Aerospace and Lockheed Martin. BAe is offering a re-vamped Nimrod, while Lockheed Martin is pushing its Orion 2000 derivative of the P-3.
A third contender, Loral, is now in the process of being acquired by Lockheed Martin. Loral's bid is based on refurbished secondhand P-3A/B aircraft. Industry sources suggest that Lockheed Martin will not continue to fund two bids for the programme; its own bid with new-build aircraft is the preferred choice, possibly with parts of the Loral bid bundled in. GEC-Marconi is Lockheed Martin's main partner in the UK bid.
Dassault had offered the twin-engine Atlantique 3 with either the Rolls-Royce Tyne Plus, an upgrade to the existing R-R Tyne, or with the R-R Allison AE2100. The RAF remains in favour of a four-engine maritime-patrol aircraft, however.
A decision on the winner of the competition is expected before the UK Parliament closes for its summer recess in July.
Source: Flight International
