Altay MBT now open to bidding...

via Defense News.

 Turkey’s defense procurement authorities have decided to scrap sole-source negotiations with the privately owned armored vehicles manufacturer Otokar for a multibillion-dollar indigenous tank program. They will instead open bidding for the same contract.

The contract involves the serial production of the Altay, an indigenous Turkish tank in the making. An initial batch of 250 Altays will be manufactured, but the eventual contract may involve 1,000 units.

“The Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, [or SSM], informed us today that our [serial production] offer had been turned down due to disagreement over contract terms and conditions, most notably price. This requirement will be met through bidding," Otokar said in a June 9 news release 

Story here. 

This is...intriguing.

So Turkey payed for the development of a tank by Otokar, saw the price offered and then opened up production to bidding?

It makes me wonder.

Could the US do the same?  Is it legal?  Its the intellectual property of the company or is it?  What percentage of development costs does the US pay? Does that make it shared property?  If it isn't shared then why can the US overrule sales to 3rd parties?

This is a brutal but elegant solution to the weapons cost explosion. But does it fit with the American way...the modern American way that is.  During WW2 we had no problem having many manufacturers producing the same vehicle/airplane etc designed by another firm.  Why can't we do the same in the modern era?