ANKARA \u2014 In one of the most critical stages shaping its indigenous fighter jet program, the Turkish government plans to select a foreign partner by 2016, officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The foreign partner would be expected to support the approximately four-year planned designing phase of the program dubbed F-X, the officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One senior procurement official said the contract involving the foreign partner would be around US $1 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early in March, Turkey’s procurement agency, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM), released a request for information (RFIRfI<\/span>) for the F-X program. A number of international aerospace manufacturers have replied to the RFIRfI<\/span>, the official said, including BAE Systems, Saab, China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corp., Airbus Germany, Alenia and Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC)<\/p>\n\n\n\n “These potential bidders have expressed their interest to our request for information. There may be others that can come into the bidding picture at the request for proposal stage,” said the official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n