Naval Air: <b>July 13, 2005</b>

July 13, 2005

In early 2000, the U.S. Navy's Assistant for MMA (Multimission Maritime Aircraft Requirements), also known as N780E1A, was charged with reviewing the service's needs for an armed "Broad Area Maritime Surveillance" (BAMS) capability, particularly given that the 35-year old P-3s are rapidly wearing out.

Using three key criteria, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW), and Intelligence, Surveillance, & Reconnaissance (ISR) N780E1A looked at several possible options

P-3 variants, including a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), remanufacturing, and even reopening the production line, which closed in 1995.

Adaptations of commercial aircraft, such as the B737/A319 or B757/A321 Gulfstream V

Adaptations of existing military aircraft, such as the C-130J, the British MRA4 Nimrod, and the French Atlantique,

Unspecified new aircraft designs

Satellite-based MMA systems

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), including Global Hawk, Predator B, and possible follow-on systems

Lighter-than-Air (LTA) vehicles, including aerostats, blimps, and "disposable" unmanned mini-blimps

Adaptations of ship-borne helicopters, manned and unmanned.

Many of the proposals were eliminated pretty quickly because they had limited performance, cost too much, or were just too far ahead of the state of technology. N780E1A completed its study in late 2001, concluding that while other capabilities might offer some value, manned aircraft had to remain an essential element of BAMS. The leading candidates for a manned aircraft were a follow-on version of the Orion 21 (a derivative of the P-3), the British Nimrod MRA4, and a variant of the Boeing 737 (the P-8A). In addition, they concluded that using UAVs would not necessarily save much money, but might offer the possibility of developing new concepts of operations, and should be part of any future BAMS solution. A BAMS UAV could be introduced by as early as FY-08, and could quickly assume as much as 40-percent of MMA missions, depending upon weather, rules of engagement, and availability. This would greatly ease the strain on the P-3s (as one navy official put it, "We are flying the wings off of them)

In mid-2004, the Department of Defense gave Boeing a contract worth $3.89 billion to produce several prototype P-8As (B-737s equipped for maritime reconnaissance). The final cost to the Navy of acquiring 108 of the aircraft, with attendant maintenance costs, will probably be around $68 billion. Australia, Canada, India, and Italy have all indicated an interest in acquiring the P-8A as well. So far, so good.

But the Navy isn't the only U.S. agency that has MMA needs. The Coast Guard and several civilian agencies (DEA, Customs, etc.) also require MMA. And the highly capable, very long range, and very expensive P-8A ($285 million each) is not suitable to their missions. So at almost the same time that the Navy was letting contracts for its first P-8As, the Coast Guard let contracts to acquire some Spanish-designed EADS CASA CN 235-300M Maritime Patrol Aircraft, while civilian agencies such as the Customs Service, which have been operating some P-3s for several years, intends to stick with them.

So despite claims emanating from DoD, DHS, and other agencies about integration and transformation, the U.S. will be operating three different maritime patrol aircraft for the foreseeable future.

Although the B-737 MMA is a two engine jet, compared to the four engine turboprop P-3, it is a more capable plane. The MMA has 23 percent more floor space than the P-3, and is larger (118 foot wingspan, versus 100 foot) and heavier (83 tons versus 61). Most other characteristics are the same. Both can stay in the air about ten hours per sortie. Speed is different. Cruise speed for the MMA is 910 kilometers an hour, versus 590 for the P-3. This makes it possible for the MMA to get to a patrol area faster, which is a major advantage when chasing down subs spotted by sonar arrays or satellites. However, the P-3 can carry more weapons (9 tons, versus 5.6.) This is less of a factor as the weapons (torpedoes, missiles, mines, sonobouys) are, pound for pound, more effective today and that trend continues. Both carry the same size crew, of 10-11 pilots and equipment operators. Both aircraft carry search radar and various other sensors.

The 737 has, like the P-3. been equipped with bomb hard points on the wings for torpedoes or missiles. The B-737 is a more modern design, and has been used successfully since the 1960s by commercial aviation. Navy aviators are confident that it will be as reliable as the P-3 (which was based on the Electra civilian airliner that first flew in 1954, although only 170 were built, plus 600 P-3s. About 40 Electras are still in service). The Boeing 737 first flew in 1965, and over 5,000 have been built. The MMA will be the first 737 designed with a bomb bay and four wing racks for weapons.

Background and technical details about the aircraft mentioned may be found at,

EADS CASA CN 235-300M http://www.uscg.mil/deepwater/system/mpa.htm
Nimrod MRA4 http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/nimrod/
Orion 21 http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRTypen/FROri21.htm
P-3 http://aeroflt.users.netlink.co.uk/types/usa/lockheed_martin/p-3/P-3_Orion.htm
P-8A http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/mma/