
Airbus and Lockheed Martin [LMT] submitted their bids this week for Switzerland's $6.5 billion New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) competition--part of the European nation's $8 billion "Air 2030" program to modernize fighter aircraft and air defense systems. Switzerland is planning to replace its legacy F/A-18 C/D Hornets and F-5E/F Tiger IIs with up to 40 new aircraft. Under consideration are the Germany-made Airbus Eurofighter, the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35A, the Boeing [BA] F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, and France’s Dassault Rafale. "The Eurofighter…