Defense firm Lockheed Martin and Boeing have filed a complaint with the US Accounting Bureau regarding the results of the tender conducted by the country’s armed forces, Reuters reports today, December 29.
Sikorsky, the aviation division of Lockheed Martin, on Wednesday called for a review of the Pentagon’s decision to conclude a contract with the industrial conglomerate Textron for the production of next-generation helicopters.
In filing a complaint with the United States Accounts Office (GAO), Lockheed Martin indicated that it enjoys the support of Boeing’s partners.
This December, the US Army completed a multi-year tender to find a replacement for the Black Hawk attack helicopter. As a result, the Textron division was awarded the contract. The potential value of the contract is approximately $70 billion, paid over decades, depending on how many new rotorcraft are ordered.
The U.S. Army plans to retire more than 2,000 Sikorsky-built UH-60 Black Hawks since the 1970s.
The protest, filed by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, will require GAO to do due diligence of the tender. A decision on the complaint must be made within 100 days, the audit department said in a statement.
