U.K. Cancels SAR-H
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/awx/2011/02/08/awx_02_08_2011_p0-288034.xml&headline=U.K.%20Cancels%20SAR-H&channel=defenseThe U.K. government has formally pulled the plug on its £6 billion search-and-rescue (SAR) outsourcing effort and is going back to the drawing board to assess how to meet the requirement in the future.
The private finance initiative has been in trouble since late last year when procurement irregularities came to light on the eve of a formal contract signature with the Soteria consortium, that included CHC Helicopters, Thales, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Sikorsky offering the S-92.
U.K. transport minister Philip Hammond announced on Feb. 8 that even though the review of the regularities is not concluded ”the government has sufficient information to enable it to conclude that the irregularities that have been identified are such that it would not be appropriate to proceed with either the preferred bid or with the current procurement process.”