According to a statement by the Chicago-based aircraft manufacturer, it filed the legal action against Danish Defense officials because it wants to see the documents that compelled the Danish government to choose Lockheed Martin's F-35 over the Super Hornet in a closely watched competition. Boeing is thus making good the threat it made when the Danish decision was announced in mid-2016.
Boeing believes the Danish government's choice of Lockheed Martin's F-35 over the Super Hornet was a result of a flawed evaluation process, based on the fact that the Danish military officials have hitherto failed to provide all materials related to the procurement evaluation and decision.
"For ten years we have been campaigning here in Denmark, talking about the Super Hornet's features in the Danish context. We felt good about the openness and the public discussion. But when the decision was taken in June last year, we expressed our disappointment with the reasons for the decision. Since then, the dialogue has stopped, and we feel that we now have to go to court," Boeing Vice President Tom Bell told TV2, stressing that one cannot expect the Danish decision to be overturned.
In June 2016, Denmark finally put an end to the decade-long debate over the replacement for its current fleet of F-16s. Boeing, however, did not accept the decision to buy 27 F-35s worth 20 billion DKK ($3bln), accusing the Danish government of basing it on flawed information on the Super Hornet's cost and capabilities and thus not giving the American group a fair chance.
In September 2016, Boeing submitted a request to Denmark's Defense Ministry for access to the documents used in the procurement evaluation process. "We believe the ministry's evaluation of the competitors was fundamentally flawed and inaccurately assessed the cost and capability of the F/A-18 Super Hornet," Boeing Vice President Debbie Rub said at the time.
Denmark is one of nine partner countries that are financially involved in the futuristic F-35A fighter jet's development, which may have possibly influenced the government's choice, despite the fact that the F-35 project has been long plagued by technical problems, delays and ballooning costs.
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