Honeywell-Pratt Protests Against GE's Army Helicopter Contract

(Reuters) – A joint venture between Honeywell International Inc. and Pratt & Whitney protested Tuesday against the US military's decision to award General Electric Co. a $ 517 million deal for new Black helicopter engines Hawk and Apache.

The joint venture Advanced Turbine Engine Co (ATEC) filed the claim with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), said ATEC in a statement.

"In our review of the evaluation, we clearly offered the best value for money through the combination of a highly rated and technically superior engine, considered to pose a much lower risk, and believing that we had made it significantly in the government budget, "Craig Madden, president of ATEC told me.

The US Department of Defense announced Feb. 1 that it had awarded GE a six-year contract for the design and manufacture of the new engines, known as the T901, intended for thousands of years. helicopters.

GE said the military had "conducted a comprehensive and well-organized process (call for bids) with clearly defined requirements and level playing field for both competitors."

The company added that it was "very confident that the very thorough review and evaluation of competing offers by the Army will be confirmed and that the T901 will prevail."

Pratt & Whitney is owned by United Technologies Corp.