Appeal lodged against Spanish IFV turret contract

Israeli-owned Pap Tecnos has launched an appeal against Spain's decision to award the 30 mm turret contract for its new 8×8 Dragón infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to Spanish company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering.

In a document presented to the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD) Pap Tecnos, a Spanish subsidiary of Rafael, claims the rival bid did not meet the requirements laid down in the contract.

This “put in danger the correct development of the programme and the security of the [vehicle's] users”, according to a statement released by the company on 22 July.

It said Escribano had been invited to participate in the contract as one of the partners in Tess Defence: the Spanish consortium in charge of the project that also includes General Dynamics Santa Bárbara Sistemas, Indra, and Sapa Plasencia. This was despite not having participated in the risk reduction programme and “presenting an arms system that did not meet the requisites of technological maturity that [were] demanded”.

“The turret selected is a product that is still in the development phase, without certification of its armour, electro-optical systems that will be replaced and an inexistent integration for the Spike missile,” the statement said.

The fitting of the Spike anti-tank missile was a “critical element demanded by the army in the offer documents facilitated by Tess Defence”, it added.

Pap Tecnos also said the contract did not meet the principles of public-sector contracting due to the “conflict of interest” of Escribano being a partner in the group.

When approached by Janes , Escribano declined to comment on the appeal.