The U.S. Navy announced June 14 that it has chosen the Boeing Co. to be the prime contractor for the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), a program expected to be worth tens of billions of dollars for the winner.

Boeing, which defeated Lockheed Martin Corp., has been awarded a $3.89 billion contract to develop the replacement for the aging Lockheed Martin P-3 anti-submarine patrol aircraft. Total development and production costs are expected to be $25.5 billion.

Boeing offered a modified version of its 737 commercial jet, while Lockheed Martin proposed a significantly updated version of its P-3.

Navy acquisition chief John Young told reporters that Boeing's cost for development was "slightly lower" than Lockheed Martin's but that the decision was not based only on cost. The competition was "very close" and both companies did "an excellent job," but Boeing's "ability to manage and deliver in a timely way ... helped tip the scales," Young said.

While Lockheed Martin contended that its turboprop design would be better suited for flying at low altitudes, a key requirement for maritime missions, Boeing countered that its turbofan design can fly as low as needed and offers more reliability.

Richard Aboulafia, an aviation consultant at the Teal Group, called the Navy's decision a "major victory" for Boeing, which will "take over this franchise" from Lockheed Martin.

"This is a major plus for Boeing," Aboulafia told The DAILY. "After a year of scandals, setbacks and a failed [Air Force 767] tanker bid, this expands their defense work into a new area, and validates their belief in a civil-military corporate structure. Their emphasis on networked warfare is clearly paying dividends."

For Lockheed Martin, "losing maritime patrol revenue is going to hurt," Aboulafia said. "They'll gradually lose the maritime patrol franchise, which they've had for decades. It's also a lost opportunity to increase their net-centric combat systems work."

The Navy plans to buy a total of 108 MMAs. Low-rate production of 34 aircraft is expected to take place from 2010 to 2012. A full-rate production decision is scheduled for 2013, though the Navy is looking at the possibility of accelerating that.

The MMA program is not expected to offer as many export opportunities as the P-3 due to reduced demand for anti-submarine systems, as well as increased competition from other countries and from anti-submarine helicopters, Aboulafia said. While Lockheed Martin has sold hundreds of P-3s overseas, Boeing will be fortunate to export just 30 to 40 MMAs, he said.

The MMA is expected to improve upon the P-3 by making it easier to exchange information with other forces. It is supposed to be complemented by the Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aerial vehicle, whose prime contractor has not been chosen yet.

The Department of Defense said June 7 that acting Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Wynne had given the MMA program approval to begin system development and demonstration (DAILY, June 8). The Navy will have to undergo another review in fiscal 2009 before committing funds to low-rate production.

The Navy plans to achieve an initial operational capability (IOC) for MMA in FY '13. The Boeing aircraft will be powered by CFM56 turbofan engines, a product of a 50/50 joint company consisting of General Electric USA and Snecma of France (DAILY, Nov. 14, 2003). Northrop Grumman and Raytheon will supply several sensors.

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/chan...ws/rep06154.xml

Product Card

Length:
126.5 feet

Height:
42.1 feet

Wing Span:
117.5 feet

Length: Max Fuel Capacity:
75,169 pounds

Max Zero Fuel Weight:
146,600 pounds

Max Taxi Weight:
184,700 pounds

Max Cruise Altitude:
41,000 feet

Max Cruise Speed:
490 KTAS (True Air Speed)

Max Range Cruise Speed:
440 KTAS (True Air Speed)

Propulsion:
Two CFM56-7B engines providing 27,000 pounds thrust each

U.S. MMA Decision Reverberates in Italy
Aviation Week & Space Technology
06/21/2004, page 32

Andy Nativi
Genoa

U.S. MMA decision crystallizes Italy's surveillance aircraft plans

Lying in Wait

Italian government and industry representatives see Boeing's win of the U.S. Navy's Multimission Maritime Aircraft as potentially opening the door to an international partnership that could meet Rome's long-standing need for new maritime patrol and airborne early warning aircraft.

Finmeccanica and Italian defense officials have started laying the groundwork for the partnership. Italian industry executives are pushing the government's military procurement organization to engage the Pentagon in discussions soon, with an eye to securing a favorable industrial stake early.

Italy has a requirement for 10-12 maritime patrol aircraft to replace its aging fleet of Atlantic-1s (16 out of 18 of these aircraft are still flying). Finmeccanica subsidiaries Alenia Aeronautica and Galileo Avionica have proposed two Atlantic sustainment options to keep the fleet in service until either 2012 or 2015. The timeline meshes well with the U.S.' plans to field the Boeing 737-800ERX-based MMA around 2012.

Additionally, Italy has long wanted to field an airborne early warning aircraft with a notional fleet size of four aircraft. Italian officials point out that Boeing also offers a 737-based airborne early warning system, the Wedgetail, which Australia and Turkey are buying. There could be platform commonality between the air-surveillance and sea-patrol systems. The price tag for a combined 14-aircraft fleet would likely top 4 billion euros ($4.8 billion).

I believe that low level flying always puts extra strain on the engines and chances are that the new Boeing MMA will have to fly at much lower altitudes than commercial jetliners if it wishes to drop sonar buoys, launch missiles/torpedoes and acquire visual confirmation.

I wonder if the turbofans are up to it and whether the entire platform would give good mileage.

ANALYSTS PREDICT that the Navy will look at several alternatives to do the "low-and-slow" segment of the anti-submarine warfare mission.

One option would be the service's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) unmanned aircraft program, which pits the Global Hawk against the Predator-B Mariner. Ultimately, it may prove to be too hard and too expensive to stage, launch and maintain on station all the necessary UAVs from shore bases, industry officials say.

A second choice, probably in the 10-15-year range, would be to develop a small UAV sized to be fired out the sonobuoy chute of the new patrol aircraft. Analysts contend, however, that the UAV would be too small to carry the necessary sensors or have the necessary endurance to prosecute a stealthy submarine. A third, longer term solution could be to convert P-3s, as they are retired, into long-dwell UAVs with the crew equipment and cockpits stripped to save tons of weight for additional fuel.

http://aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_...ws/06214wna.xml

Hmm...

So the USN is replacing a proven multi-purpose platform with two new ones? Interesting...

Budget aside, I think Lockheed's P-3 upgrade was a better choice.