Paris - France\'s Direction Generale pour l\'Armement (DGA) procurement office has extended the deadline to Nov. 30 for industry to line up teams to bid for the architect\'s mandate in the French Army\'s Scorpion modernization program, defense executives familiar with the tender said.
This is the second time DGA has granted an extension as bids were initially due by the end of October, and then postponed to Nov. 12, at the request of industry, the executives said. The time is intended to allow companies to decide which teams they will join. It is understood EADS is in talks to join the Nexter-Thales-Sagem alliance.
Communications & Systems (CS) and Ineo are in a common bid, while Cap Gemini had made a preliminary independent offer. CS believes its bid with Ineo would break with the \"monopsony\" of single buyer and supplier that would arise from awarding the contract to the major defense companies, said CS Chief Executive Eric Blanc Garin.
This is the second time DGA has granted an extension as bids were initially due by the end of October, and then postponed to Nov. 12, at the request of industry, the executives said. The time is intended to allow companies to decide which teams they will join. It is understood EADS is in talks to join the Nexter-Thales-Sagem alliance.
Communications & Systems (CS) and Ineo are in a common bid, while Cap Gemini had made a preliminary independent offer. CS believes its bid with Ineo would break with the \"monopsony\" of single buyer and supplier that would arise from awarding the contract to the major defense companies, said CS Chief Executive Eric Blanc Garin.