EADS Casa is fighting a rearguard action to save its programme to upgrade eight Lockheed Martin P-3A Orions for Brazil's P-X maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) in the face of a push by Embraer to offer a lower-cost alternative based on the EMB-145 regional jet.
Brazil last October selected the Spanish company for the $330 million programme, and to supply 12 CN295 transports worth another $270 million to meet its CL-X need. After the election of a new government, the Brazilian air force has had to re-evaluate spending plans, pushing CL-X and P-X to the bottom of its list of procurement priorities.
Embraer has offered 10 new EMB- 145 maritime patrol/anti-submarine aircraft, locally designated P99, which it says provide substantial savings on upgrading eight US Navy P-3As and could be available within two years. The P99 is based on the same modified airframe as the EMB-145 remote-sensing aircraft ordered by Brazil under the SIVAM Amazon surveillance programme and an MPA version sold to Mexico.
The proposed P99 would have the Thales AMASCOS mission suite, including a belly-mounted Ocean Master radar, DR3000 electronic support measures, Agile forward- looking infrared imager and five tactical consoles. The aircraft would also feature four underwing hardpoints capable of carrying Exocet anti-ship missiles. Mexico's unarmed version has Raytheon SeaVue radar and FLIR Systems StarSafire imager.
Brazil has bought the P-3As for $1 million per airframe, but they are in storage and a contract has not been finalised with EADS Casa for its fully integrated tactical system (FITS). Spanish sources say FITS meets the air force's anti-submarine warfare requirement for a magnetic anomaly detector, sonobuoy launcher and acoustic processing.
Although Embraer is offering the P99 with an in-flight refuelling probe, it is claimed the P-3A will offer longer unsupported endurance and is better for search and rescue.
Source: Flight International
