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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0377.PDF
DEFENCE MARITIME PATROL PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC USN moves ahead to replace P-3s Programme continues but funding difficulties lie ahead as service looks to international participants for help The US Navy has awarded Boeing and Lockheed Martin follow-on contracts to further define their competing multi-mission maritime aircraft (MAA) concepts for replac ing the P-3C Orion and EP-3 Aries. The navy is considering interna tional participation to shore up financial and political support for the $3 billion programme, due to enter system development and de monstration (SDD) early next year. Boeing and Lockheed Martin have each received $20.5 million contracts for component advanced development (CAD) phase two. This follows completion of an initial $7 million CAD phase awarded last September. CAD is intended to mitigate risk, define systems architecture, examine costs and outline plans and schedules for SDD ahead of final selection. "Costs will come more into focus in the new phase as compa nies define architecture and train ing costs from their modelling. We don't want to get into SDD and find costs have gone up," says Cdr Joe Rixey, Naval Air Systems Command, MMA team lead. Boeing is studying a 737-700-based solution, while Lockheed Martin is looking at a next-generation Orion 21 version of the P-3 turboprop. A final selection is due early next year, but many industry observers continue to express scepticism that there will be the necessary funds to develop and produce a new plat form. CAD funding has been trimmed, delaying work on a planned intelligence version to replace the EP-3, while the 2004 budget request contains only $76 million out of the $2.17 billion needed for SDD over the next five years. The planned start of MMA low-rate initial production has been delayed two years to 2009 and it will not enter service before 2012. One source of extra funding could be international participa tion, with the programme office looking at the US-led nine-nation Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme as a model. "We're not copying JSF, but trying to capture all its good ness. What we're looking to do is build a truck with open system architecture," says Rixey. The number of partners, how ever, may be limited. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain have, or are plan ning, P-3 upgrades, while a funding shortage is delaying Germany's planned joint purchase with Italy of a new aircraft. Japan operates the largest non-US Orion fleet and "would be a difference maker", says an industry executive. Japan has a memorandum of understanding with the USN to jointly study avion ics and sensors, but is determined to develop its own planned P-X. AIRLIFT Jordan adds C295s to fleet The Royal Jordan Air Force has ordered two EADS Casa C295 tactical transports in a deal valued at $45 million. EADS Casa says the aircraft will be delivered this year, bol stering Jordan's airtransport fleet, which also includes EADS CasaC212sandCN235s. Jordan becomes the third country to sign a C295 contract after Poland and Spain. The twin-engined aircraft has also been selected by Brazil and the United Arab Emirates as a mar itime patrol aircraft. Meanwhile, Portugal is expected soon to issue an invita tion to tender for up to 12 tactical transports to replace C212s. EADS Casa says it expects to compete in Portugal with the C295, while Alenia says it is planning to offer the C-27J, developed in conjunction with Lockheed Martin. Portugal is also a potential par ticipant in the Airbus Military A400M programme, with a requirement for three aircraft to replace Lockheed Martin C-130s. A decision on participation is expected within three months. UPGRADES JUSTIN WASTNAGE/LONDON RSK chases modification work on India's MiG-27 fighter bombers RSK insists original design team should perform modifications to ensure the fleet's safety RSK MiG has begun talks with the Indian air force on an upgrade pro gramme for its ageing fleet of Mikoyan MiG-27 Flogger fighter- bombers, which is now described by India as a "priority". The Russian manufacturer claims the complex structural life extension and related airframe modification can only be per formed by the original design team, which is now within the RSK organisation, to assure safety. RSK's deputy director general Gennadiy Archipov says it has pro posed an upgrade to the engine, avionics and weapons system, which is now under consideration Flight International, 2-8 April, 2002). Archipov says replacement of the MiG-27's 25,3301b-thrust (113kN) Tumansky R-29B with the 27,5601b-thrust NPO Saturn AL-31FN engine requires modifica tion of the aircraft tail as well as new intakes. "The air intake for the AL-31 is significantly different and requires changes to the whole air craft design," he says. Archipov says "only the original design team can carry out such comprehensive changes", despite India's interest in carrying out the work locally. Hindustan Aero nautics (HAL) licence-produced many of India's MiG-27s. The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation signed a memorandum of under standing to develop two prototype aircraft with HAL at the Aero India show this month, but has not released details of the programme. RSK has repeatedly claimed that upgrades by non-Russian compa nies to MiG designs without its input are not safe. Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport reportedly says that India's use of non-original equipment manufac turer spare parts for the Mikoyan MiG-21 has contributed to its poor safety record. India has lost at least 158 MiG-21s over the past 20 years. 14 18-24 FEBRUARY 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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