SOFIA - The Bulgarian Defence Ministry has cancelled its choice of Israeli firm Elbit Systems to repair and modernize 18 Bulgarian military helicopters, the ministry said Friday in a statement.
"Defence Minister Nikolay Svinarov cancelled on March 8 the public tender procedure for repair and modernization of Bulgarian airforce helicopters Mi-17 and Mi-24 to Elbit systems, Israel, due to unfulfilment of the initially stated criteria," it said.
Elbit Systems was chosen last December to modernize 12 Mi-24 attack helicopters and six Mi-17 transport helicopters for 57 million euros (74 million dollars).
The Israeli firm won the order over the other main bidder British company BAE Systems, which had asked for 128 million euros. French Sagem and Israeli IAI were the other two bidders for the tender.
The Elbit deal was expected to be finalised in January but the contract signature was postponed.
In February, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov, cited by BTA agency, qualified as "illegitimate" the intention of Elbit to modernize the Russia-produced helicopters, without having a licence.
The question was taken up by opposition forces in parliament a week ago and Svinarov was forced to withdraw the order.
Bulgaria began to modernize its military equipment following the country's NATO accession last April.
It signed a contract in January with company Eurocopter, part of European defence group EADS, to buy 18 new transport helicopters Panther and Cougar for its armed forces.
03/11/2005 13:35 GMT