The US Government Accountability Agency (GAO) has denied a protest from Advanced Turbine Engine Company (ATEC) pertaining to the awarding of the US Army’s Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) to its competitor earlier in 2019.
Artist’s rendering of the T900 that ATEC developed for the US Army’s ITEP. ATEC's protest after losing to General Electric for ITEP has been denied by the GAO. (Pratt & Whitney)
ATEC – a joint venture (JV) between Honeywell and United Technologies’ Pratt & Whitney military engines unit – had protested the awarding to General Electric (GE) Aviation of a USD517.4 million engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract on 1 February on account of the Department of Defense (DoD) unfairly overlooking, as it saw, its better value and lower rick proposal. The JV announced on 30 May that this protest had been refused.
“We are disappointed in the outcome and are currently reviewing the decision in detail. The GAO findings notwithstanding, a procurement this crucial should never be made based on paper proposals. Indeed, it is customary for the Pentagon to thoroughly test competing engines before making a final down select. Testing provides clear, unequivocal evidence of engine capabilities that cannot be obtained through a proposal. Therefore, we have recommended that Congress provide the funding to allow the [US] Army to take both engines further into the EMD phase of the procurement before making a final selection,” ATEC said in a statement.
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