BAE Systems woos Poland with Gripen fighter planes

Plane producer BAE Systems/SAAB, maker of the Gripen fighter aircraft, yesterday presented members of the Sejm’s defense committee with a proposal to deliver its planes to Poland on a leasing contract basis. Under the contract proposed, BAE would lease 18 planes for five years with the possibility of prolonging the contract for another five. BAE representatives would not disclose the price of the proposed agreement, but said it was competitive when compared with a proposal made by Lockheed Martin for their F-16 fighter planes. According to Ray Lomas, head of BAE’s local branch, domestic companies would offset the cost of the fighters by fulfilling orders for BAE and its partner companies. As an example, he said Poland would produce certain electronic components for General Electric, which participates in Gripen production. He added that 2001 budgetary funds earmarked for fighter plane purchases, zl.70 million, would be enough to cover the deal.(Rzeczpospolita, p.B3) J.K.