Boeing’s maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) was only a concept when the company announced the programme’s launch at the Farnborough airshow in 2012.
This year, the MSA is a reality, with the company’s demonstration aircraft, a modified Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet, on display for potential customers.
The aircraft still operates under an experimental flight certificate, but its development is complete and Boeing is ready to start taking orders.
“We are very confident it is going to move forward with production,” Robert Schoeffling, Boeing’s senior manager of business development, says.
Discussions have been held with “five or six” potential customers in the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, though he declines to name them.
Boeing could deliver an aircraft within 36 months of an order, and the company expects to begin customer demonstration flights by the end of 2014 or early next year, says Schoeffling.
The demonstrator has been outfitted with mission equipment from Boeing's larger P-8A anti-submarine warfare aircraft by Canadian modifications specialist Field Aviation, which also performed the structural changes needed.
Boeing has previously indicated a price of $55-$60 million for the MSA, but Schoeffling says this can vary significantly based on customer requirements.
He insists the aircraft will offer more capability than any of its competitors can provide, and says Boeing’s decision to fund development of the demonstration aircraft reflects the company’s confidence in the programme.
Though the demonstration aircraft is a Challenger 604, production aircraft will be based on the new Challenger 605.
Source: Flight Daily News
