U.S. Navy Close To Defining Potential International Role In MMA

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
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By Marc Selinger
07/20/2004 09:45:26 AM


FARNBOROUGH, England - The U.S. Navy soon will lay out a plan for including other countries in its Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) development effort, a program official said July 19.

Within the next few weeks, the Navy will roll out a "policy position" spelling out the extent of potential international involvement in MMA, said Capt. Steve Eastburg, the Navy's program manager for maritime surveillance aircraft, who spoke at a press briefing at the Farnborough Air Show.

The policy position could pave the way for significant international industrial participation in the program, as well as the placement of foreign representatives in the U.S. government's program office, Eastburg said. The U.S.-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which has eight international partners, will serve as a model for the program in many ways, although Eastburg stressed that the MMA will differ in some respects from the JSF.

Eastburg said MMA has generated a "lot of international interest," especially among many of the 15 countries that fly the P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, which MMA is designed to replace. The Boeing Co., whose selection as the prime contractor was announced in June, estimates that international sales could exceed 100 aircraft. The U.S. Navy plans to buy 108 MMAs, mainly for anti-submarine warfare but also for reconnaissance and anti-surface ship warfare.

The Navy on June 14 awarded a $3.89 billion contract to Boeing for MMA's six-year system development and demonstration phase. Navy acquisition chief John Young said at the time that the prime-contractor selection would pave the way for intensifying talks with foreign countries about their potential participation in the program.

Eastburg said Boeing won the MMA competition because it offered the "best value" in terms of cost, experience, past performance and proposed technological approach. Boeing offered a modified 737-800ERX jet, beating Lockheed Martin's updated version of the P-3 turboprop.

Boeing plans to produce three flight-test aircraft for the program, with first flight slated for 2009. The jets could later be converted to production aircraft.

The Navy wants MMA to achieve an initial operational capability in 2013. Eastburg views the aircraft as the "the poster child for network-centric warfare" because it will be capable of long flights and come heavily equipped with data links and other information-sharing devices.

P-3 upgrades

Although Lockheed Martin lost the MMA competition, it will continue to have a substantial role in maritime surveillance aircraft for years to come, Eastburg said. The Navy plans to keep flying its Lockheed Martin-built P-3s for another 15-20 years and will be looking for upgrades in such areas as communication systems links and sensor processors. Some of that technology could be migrated to MMA.

The number of P-3s available for such upgrades is declining, however. The Navy is scaling back the size of the fleet because many of the aircraft are wearing out. The number of P-3s already has been reduced from 227 to 190 and will shrink further, to 148, within the next year.

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umair

Peace Enforcer
Lockheed could sell it's upgrade to other operators who are likely to keep their Orions for sometime to come like PNA.
Besides I'd like to know wether Pakistan's being an MNNA would allow us to participate in the programme?
Also how would the AtlantiqueII stackup against this Lockheed upgrade.?
 

gf0012-aust

Grumpy Old Man
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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3
umair said:
Lockheed could sell it's upgrade to other operators who are likely to keep their Orions for sometime to come like PNA.
Besides I'd like to know wether Pakistan's being an MNNA would allow us to participate in the programme?
Also how would the AtlantiqueII stackup against this Lockheed upgrade.?
It's only second hand knowledge, but I've spoken to crews during one of the Fincastle events. The RAF Nimroddies did not have a high opinion of french ASW capability. Neither did the Canadians. Other ex ASW crew I've worked with on projects usually extended polite silence when asked. All of them would have rated the Atlantiques below the Nimrods and the Orions/Auroras. The general view was that the French did not have the same kind of exposure to airborne ASW ops, so their kit was considered below par. That doesn't mean that it was useless, just that it wasn't as highly regarded.
 
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