After almost a yr and a half of delays, South Korea has determined to pick the contractor for its Korean Subsequent-Technology Destroyer (KDDX) program by way of a restricted aggressive bidding course of.
With the plan to award the challenge by way of a sole-source contract to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries withdrawn, the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Sources has designated a number of protection companies with KDDX manufacturing capabilities – HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean – to compete for the challenge.
The Protection Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated it permitted the KDDX challenge execution plan in addition to the fundamental plan for detailed design and development of the lead ship on the 172nd assembly of the Protection Acquisition Program Promotion Committee held on Dec. 22.
A DAPA official stated that the choice to proceed with restricted aggressive bidding was permitted unanimously by all members of the committee. “Subsequent yr, we are going to formulate the fundamental challenge plan, and after it’s permitted by the committee, we are going to transfer ahead with procedures corresponding to issuing a request for proposals, asserting the bid, and deciding on the contractor, with the objective of signing a contract by the tip of subsequent yr,” the official stated.
