ANKARA, Turkey — A total of f Four contenders will compete for a Turkish contracted designed to outfit the country's aircraft with stand-off jammer (SOJ) systems.

According to Turkey's procurement office, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), the contract will see one US-based company competing against three Turkish rivals.

SSM said the four bidders are Aselsan — Turkey's biggest defense company — Duygu Havacilik ve Savunma San, Savronik and the Williamsburg, Virginia-based Tempus Applied Solutions LLC.

Earlier, nine companies had obtained SSM's Request for Information on the SOJ program. Of those, a partnership of the Turkish-American Esen Sistem/Sierra Nevada Corp.; Ortadogu Muhendislik, Probil; Selex ES; and Airbus D&S Military Aircraft have not joined the bidding.

The SOJ program involves "production, delivery and acceptance of the systems; installation and integration of mission equipment into the systems; construction of barracks and buildings; test and assessment of the systems; maintenance, repairs, technical support, spare parts; supply of ground support equipment and their spare parts and overall training."

The program is dubbed "Golge," or "shadow" in Turkish.

Industry sources expect the SOJ program to cost Turkey about $200 million.

In late 1990s, Turkey decided to buy four aircraft with an option to buy four more and 10 ground stations for long-range jamming capabilities, targeting both enemy communications and radars.

In the mid-2000s, the program was split into two: air and land. In July 2009, Aselsan won a $71 million contract to develop a prototype system for the land forces. That program is still progressing.

Burak Ege Bekdil was the Turkey correspondent for Defense News.

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