Guillaume Faury stated, referring to the longer final offer placing deadline request from the consortium offering the Black Hawk helicopters, that the competing company does not follow the rules established by the Polish Ministry of Defence. According to the statement and opinion of the Airbus president, these activities are aimed at destabilizing the tender, which “poses a threat to the vivid Polish interest”.
Guillaume Faury has also stated that the tender has been started two years ago along with a precisely set “set of rules and schedule”. He claimed that potential prolonging of the deadline is “unfair” for the bidders who follow the rules and provide the proper solutions “on the indicated deadline”.
Airbus also claims that, after the term has been prolonged to 28th November, the bidders will have in total 6 months to place their offers from the moment of transferring the request for offers. President Faury stated that for any “serious” manufacturer of helicopters, this term is “more than adequate” to place an offer. Airbus Helicopters confirms its stance claiming that the tender shall be conducted “in accordance with the specifications” defined by the Polish authorities.
The final offer-placing deadline, when it comes to the multi-purpose helicopter tender, has been prolonged, at the beginning of October 2014, and now the deadline date is 28th November. MoD Secretary of State, Czesław Mroczek stated that the consortium offering the Black Hawk helicopters has requested the deadline to be prolonged again, in order to make it possible to place an offer. Earlier the consortium consisting of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and PZL Mielec has stated that it will not take part in the tender unless its requirements remain unchanged. MoD decision related to potential change in the deadlines is still unknown.
The Polish Army is to procure 70 multi-purpose helicopters. The Contractor is to be selected, according to the statements made by the MoD Secretary of State, Czesław Mroczek, until the end of February next year. The proceedings involve „Program EC725 Caracal Polska” consortium, consisting of Airbus Helicopters and Heli Invest Sp z o.o. companies (with EC725 helicopter), PZL Świdnik company, which offers AW-149 helicopters, and finally the consortium consisting of Sikorsky International Operations Inc., Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Polskie Zakłady Lotnicze Sp. z o.o., offering the Black Hawk helicopters.