Lockheed Martin battles to win Poland’s fighter tender

American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin is eager to participate in the tender for a multi-target fighter for the Polish air force scheduled to open in the middle of February and conclude in June. It is offering 60 new F-16 fighters, arguing that this aircraft used by 21 countries is the most popular fighter in the world. In combat around the world 71 planes have been destroyed by F-16 fighters, while not a single F-16 has been touched. Poland is likely to accept an American government offer of 16 secondhand F-16’s which would be overhauled in the USA, or possibly in Poland to reduce repair costs of the fighters to $250 million. Sweden is proposing secondhand Gripens that do not require any overhauling and France is offering its Mirage-2000-5. Both the Americans and Swedes say their deals might involve production of their fighters in Poland, whereas the French promise to hand over the entire production of Mirage-2000-5 to Poland. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p.6) M.T.