Turkey Extends Deadline for Disputed Air Defense Bidding

US and European bidders racing to snatch a controversial Turkish contract from their Chinese rival now have until June 30 to submit their renewed proposals, following two three-month extensions instituted by Turkey.
After the previous extension, the bidders had until the end of April to submit bids for Turkey’s first long-range air- and anti-missile defense system, for which it initially selected a Chinese manufacturer.
The bidders comprise a partnership of Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, makers of the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system, and the European group Eurosam, maker of the Aster 30 missile.
In September, Turkey said it selected China Precision Machinery Import-Export Corp. (CPMIEC) to build the system.
Turkey has been in contract negotiations with CPMIEC, but under increasing pressure from its NATO allies, it also has urged rival US and European bidders to improve their offers.
Turkey said in September that Eurosam’s offer ranked second while the US solution came third. The fourth bidder, the Russian maker of the S-300/400, was eliminated from the contest.
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