By Joan Holland

NAVAIR’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Program Office (PMA 290) released a request for proposal for the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft on Oct. 28. Release of the RFP is a major stride toward the eventual development and acquisition of the Navy’s P-3 Orion replacement, the MMA. The document provides competitors for the MMA system the specific and detailed information they need to submit proposals for the work.

“This RFP release is built upon years of work by the MMA team,” remarked Captain Steve Eastburg, PMA 290 program manager. “It will help to ensure we solicit industry proposals which contain the most effective warfighting solutions for the fleet.”

An RFP provides guidance on everything from contracting procedures to specifications for the MMA system. On Sept. 30, Eastburg signed the Performance Based Specification, a major element of the RFP guidance. The most critical component for the design and development of the aircraft, the PBS took about two years to complete.

According to Tom Garrett, MMA assistant program manager for systems engineering, “The PBS defines the performance requirements, such as it's ability to search, detect, locate, track and attack Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare threats. There are separate appendices for structural capability, performance calculations, and information exchange requirements. At the end of the day, the PBS is the definitive resource for developing the system that will perform MSA missions in the future.”

In defining and refining these requirements, the Navy worked closely with teams from the competitors for the MMA in an integrated effort between the Navy and industry. “We worked back and forth with the industry teams over the past two years to ensure the requirements were not only effective, but affordable,” said Garrett, “this PBS brings together the results of this research and evaluation.”

Ultimately, the PBS will serve as the key benchmark for determining which concept best meets all the performance requirements. “Once the source is selected, industry will design and develop the system. The NAVAIR Team will verify that the airplane meets these requirements before it is turned over to the warfighter,” according to Garrett.

“Everyone working on the PBS gave their all,” remarked Cmdr. Joe Rixey, MMA Program Manager, “this includes the team leads who spent countless hours examining every detail and ensuring the document is the best it can be.”

The MMA will replace the U.S. Navy's fleet of P-3Cs, which currently provide strategic blue water and littoral undersea warfare capabilities, armed intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance roles. Although the MMA’s primary mission will be providing dominance in anti-submarine warfare, the multi-mission design will also provide anti-surface warfare and littoral-armed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

The Navy is evaluating two concepts for MMA, the Boeing 737 Military Derivative and the Lockheed Martin Orion21. The Component Advanced Development Industry Phase II began in Feb. 2003, during which each contractor refined their search-and-attack concepts based on the results of CAD Phase I. The CAD Phase II process will last about 15 months with Milestone B, final source selection and contract award occurring in the beginning of the third quarter of FY2004.

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technologies through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From aircraft and weapons development to carrier launch and recovery; from sensors to real-time communications to precision targeting; from aircraft and weapons sustainment to state-of-the-art training; NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.

For more information about this release, contact Joan Holland, NAVAIR Public Affairs at (301) 342-0207, or [email protected].

Photo Cutline
U.S. Navy Photo by Joan Holland – Captain Steve Eastburg, PMA 290 program manager signs the MMA Performance Based Specification document during a signing ceremony in the program office on Sept. 30, while Tom Garrett, MMA assistant program manager for systems engineering observes.