The partnership between French company Naval Group and Constanta Shipyard has won the auction on supply of multi-functional corvettes, Romanian Defence minister Gabriel Les has announced today after sources had revealed the information a day ago.
Three bids have been filed at the Defence Ministry within this tender, from Dutch Damen, Italian company Fincantieri and from Naval Group (France).
It seems that the French state company has made the cheapest offer to obtain the contract.
Asked what have been the criteria to choose the winner, DefMin pointed out in the procurement committee’s report that all technical criteria asked by the beneficiary had been met. The minister added the French group had also provided the cheapest price, yet, he says it has not been defining in the choice, but the technical benchmarks.
The tender has been delayed after the procurement procedure of the multi-functional corvettes had been suspended in January by the Romanian Defence Ministry over suspicions of legality. More precisely, Constanta Shipyard has sued the Government and the Defence Ministry, asking for the auction to be cancelled, while the Department for Ammunition has notified the Military Prosecutor’s Office upon the Military Court of Appeal over “reasonable doubts on the legality of the procedure”.
One month later, the representatives of the Constanta Shipyard announced they are dropping charges against the Government, with the Defence minister Okaying the continuation of the legal procedure.
Moreover, the French mass media reported in January this year that former PSD chairman Liviu Dragnea would have tried to discredit Naval Group, “by all means” and call of the auction. Dragnea would have favored the Dutch Damen.
“La Tribune” French newspaper reported that Romania, particularly Dragnea, did not want Naval Group win the auction for the four corvettes, although it would have offered a contract of EUR 1.2 billion, as against the EUR 1.25 bln put forward by Damen and as against EUR 1.34 bln by Fincantieri.
The endowment programme of the Romanian Navy, covering the purchase of four multi-functional corvettes and the modernization of the fight systems of Regina Maria/Queen Mary and Regele Ferdinand/King Ferdinand frigates, has been estimated at EUR 1.6 billion (USD 1.85 bln).
Romania will thus have four multi-functional corvettes by 2026, with the first one to be built until 2022.
Naval in France is corrupt and everybody knows that! This will be the end of the PSD!