The government has awarded a multi-billion dollar fighter procurement contract to American aerospace giant ... Boeing. Under the four-point-four billion contract, Boeing will supply 40 F-15-K fighter jets to South Korea by Thousand-nine. The Defense Ministry announced the decision at a news conference Friday afternoon. The ministry has also awarded General Electric a deal to supply engines for the fighter jets. The decision has been widely expected since the ministry said it would consider traditional alliance in the second round evaluation in which Boeing was competing with French competitor Dassault Aviation. Since then, the French bidder has strongly protested the decision while filing a lawsuit seeking to halt the evaluation process. The ministry plans to obtain presidential approval next month before signing a formal contract. The project to procure Korea's next-generation fighter jets has been marred by allegations of favoritism and bribery. Activists have accused the government of bowing to U.S. pressure to favor Boeing's F-15-K, which they claim is outdated and inferior to Dassault's Rafale.