Sunday, April 5, 2009

How to Get a No-Bid Contract For Russian Choppers


From the Danger Room:

How did a company best known for its communications gear manage to get a $322 million, no-bid contract to supply the Iraqi military with Russian helicopters? Not even the Pentagon can come up with a convincing explanation.

Yesterday, I spent an hour on the phone with two Defense Department officials who tried to explain to me why ARINC, a Maryland subsidiary of the Carlyle Group, managed to become the United States' largest broker for Russian military aircraft. They were polite and patient, but the only reason they gave me was that ARINC had some sort of one-of-a-kind, "special relationship" with Russia's copter-supplier.

Read more ....

My Comment: It is not what you know .... but who you know.

1 comment:

Jae said...

Its been over a year since we paid the Russians. Where are the helicopters? No bids, no past heavy volume arms experience, no helicopters to date = equals KICK BACKs somewhere.....