Services May Split On Sigint, Sensor Programs
By Guy Norris and Andy Nativi
Boeing is refining a variant of the 737-based P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for the U.S. Navy's EP-X signals intelligence (Sigint) requirement, but it says smaller platforms are again on the table for the Army, which wants a twin turboprop solution for a proposed revival of its Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program.
Meetings scheduled with the Army next month have been "initiated to work out all the mature options, and to really ask the question," says Boeing director of airborne sigint campaigns, Paul Summers. Earlier this month, Summers says, the Army announced its intent to opt for a twin turboprop-powered aircraft for ACS. "So the Army is going to a smaller platform," he adds.
As originally conceived, the ACS was a common reconnaissance airframe to replace the Army's RC-7, RC-12/RU-21 Guardrail, and the Navy's EP-3E Aries II platforms. A Lockheed Martin and Embraer bid based on the ERJ-145 regional jet was selected in 2004, with 34 aircraft intended for the Army and 19 for the Navy. However, amid rising costs and a realization the aircraft was too small to host the necessary mission systems, the program was cancelled in January 2006.
The Army subsequently moved to revive ACS later that year, and the upcoming meetings are designed to see "what future directions the Army will take," according to Summers. The Army contacted prospective ACS bidders May 8 announcing a refocus of the program. The Army specified type of aircraft and top-level changes in program structure. The formal release of these changes is expected to be posted online to the Army Interactive Business Opportunities Page imminently.
Although the Navy's EP-X remains "far from solidified", Summers adds that a P-8A-based bid will "leverage 90%" of the patrol aircraft's development from a structures perspective. The EP-X is expected to require a full Level IV command and control capability over UAVs and their sensors, combined with onboard processing and data fusion capability, Summers says.
To meet the requirements for what Boeing expects to be a 19-26 aircraft program, the company's P-8A-based bid is likely to include the same nose radar, electro-optic sensor, self-protection suite and basic communication systems. It is also expected to retain both the underwing and under-fuselage weapons station. Summers says discussions are ongoing to understand if the ventral weapon bay, which can handle up to five, light torpedo weapons, is required or could be used to host systems and electronics, which weigh almost twice that of the EP-8.
Part of that derives from the need to carry on board a much larger mission crew, which will rely on 10-14 multifunction consoles (versus on the P-8). Also the EP-X will feature 360° radar coverage and is required to offer a full ground mobile target indicator mode (GMTI). Boeing has already chosen two main electronic partners, Raytheon and Argon ST, the latter mainly entrusted with the communications intelligence package.
Artist's concept: Boeing
