One bidder left for Czech fighters

Four of the five contenders bidding to supply the Czech air force with new fighter planes have pulled out just days before their bids were due to be submitted.

The decision by the two American and two European companies leaves a British-Swedish consortium, BAE Systems-Saab, as the sole bidder for up to 36 fighters, worth more than $2bn.

It is the largest-ever defence purchase by the Czech Republic, a Nato member since 1999.

Reports say Washington withdrew the American bids because the contract conditions prevented fair competition with rival manufacturers.

Some Czech opposition politicians have criticised the government for manipulating the tender process to favour the joint British-Swedish bid.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service