Four Countries Submit Bids to Supply Tracked Vehicles for Slovak Army

Bratislava, February 1 (TASR) – Four countries have submitted bids to supply tracked vehicles to the Slovak army: Hungary, Sweden, Spain and Poland, Defence Ministry spokesperson Martina Koval Kakascikova told TASR on Tuesday.

The ministry invited 33 countries to submit bids within Slovakia’s procurement of tracked vehicles, said the spokesperson, adding the ministry is satisfied with the range of bids.

The ministry plans to purchase 152 tracked vehicles in the first procurement stage. The cost of the project is estimated at €1.739 billion including VAT, of which vehicles themselves should account for €1.447 billion. The procurement will take a government-to-government form. The ministry is due to submit an evaluation of the bids to the Cabinet by June 2022.

When evaluating bids, technical specifications will have a weight of 30 percent, with price at 35 percent, logistics support at 10 percent and the engagement of the Slovak defence industry 25 percent. The desired engagement of the Slovak defence industry is at least 40 percent of the total price of the contract.

According to the ministry, the Slovak army is currently equipped with tracked vehicles that are at the end of their technical lifespans. Their current service ability is 30 percent.