Airbus pulls out of Polish helo tender due to offset requirements

WARSAW, Poland — Airbus Helicopters has decided to pull out of the Polish Defence Ministry’s tender to acquire new copters for the country’s Navy.

The "offset requirements defined by the Polish MoD made it impossible for Airbus Helicopters to submit a competitive offer," the company said in a statement sent to the state-owned news agency PAP.

“Airbus Helicopters continues to be interested in supporting the process of the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces in the field of helicopter fleet replacement,” the vendor said with respect to Poland’s other helo procurement plans.

Earlier this year, Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo placed their offers in the ministry’s tender to purchase four helicopters. Leonardo, which is now the only active participant of the tender, owns Polish aircraft plant PZL Swidnik which makes the AW101 copter, among others.

The new helos, enabled with anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search-and-rescue (SAR) capabilities, are designed to replace the Polish Navy’s Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite copters, according to First Deputy Defence Minister Wojciech Skurkiewicz. Local observers have also said the new helos could replace the Navy’s Soviet-designed Mil Mi-14 copters.

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