In Brief: BAe fights for RAF contract

British Aerospace faces competition from American companies Lockheed and Loral, and France's Dassault, for the £1bn-plus contract to replace the RAF's Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft.

Defence Procurement Minister Roger Freeman yesterday invited the companies to tender for the contract to be placed in the late summer of 1996. BAe is the front-runner to win the order, with an offer that includes a full refurbishment package for the RAF's 25 Nimrods.