Efforts by the US Navy to develop a Common Support Aircraft (CSA) are continuing to founder because of opposition by US legislators. The recent rejection of a $27 million fiscal year 1999 request by the House National Security Committee (HNSC) means that the future of the project will be determined in a conference between the HNSC and the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The rejection came as the USN prepared to award five CSA study contracts with funds diverted from other weapons projects - an action required after an earlier Congressional denial of the USN's FY1998 request of $3.8 million for initial CSA research and development.
CSA project officer USN Capt Gary Peterson says the definition studies, which are expected to take up to six months to complete, would precede award of multiple study contracts for 18 months of concept exploration during which an analysis of alternatives and an independent cost estimate will be produced.
Peterson says that the USN is wrestling with affordability and aircraft performance issues and will determine during FY2000 - before the programme development and risk reduction phase - whether to produce a new Northrop Grumman E-2 derivative or to develop a new aircraft to replace the Lockheed Martin S-3B Viking and ES-3A Shadow, the E-2C Hawkeye and the C-2 Greyhound.
He says the USN is opposed to using the Boeing F/A-18 for aerial refuelling and the Bell Boeing V-22 for carrier on-board delivery (COD), although he acknowledges that feasibility studies for a tilt rotor COD aircraft are being conducted .
Peterson also says the USN favours a conventional take-off-and-landing aircraft for carrier- suitability reasons. Studies indicate that a new single CSA airframe design is technically and economically feasible for all the required missions, he adds.
Northrop Grumman, meanwhile, is studying a turbofan re-engined derivative of the C-2 turboprop (Greyhound 21) as a potential low cost candidate for the various roles. Peterson envisions a requirement for 200 replacement aircraft. The CSA would be operational by 2013, but the USN is keen to bring forward its initial operational capability to 2005-8.
A vertical take-off and landing support unmanned air vehicle (UAV) has been suggested for all CSA missions, excluding COD. Peterson thinks the UAV will be considered.
Source: Flight International
