By : South Korean news agency

U.S. aerospace company Boeing will likely be the sole bidder to participate in the second phase of Korea’s F-X fighter jet procurement project. Korea will purchase 20 F-15K fighter jets in the second phase of the defense project between 2010 and 2012. Originally three bidders were expected to compete to win the contract: U.S. defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, European consortium Eurofighter International and Boeing.

Lockheed Martin recently withdrew its bid and now Eurofighter has also decided not to participate. According to a military source, Eurofighter’s agent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. notified the Korean government of the decision Monday. That means Boeing is likely to be the sole bidder to submit an application under the Wednesday deadline, the source said. Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter seem to have given up after concluding that Boeing has an advantage since it won the contract for the first phase of the F-X project to supply 40 F-15K fighter jets by 2008.