THEUSNAVY is evaluating industry responses to a request for information on whether a new Common Support Aircraft (CSA) could be developed with the funds it would otherwise spend extending the service lives of the Northrop Grumman E-2 and Lockheed S-3.
Industry was asked what type of aircraft could be developed with the funds available, and how soon, explains Richard Reinheimer, business-development manager, strategic mobility, at Boeing Defense &Space Group.
Speaking at the US Navy League's Sea Air Space exhibition in Washington DC between 25-27 March, Reinheimer said that the data are being evaluated by the Navy to determine whether the CSA's in-service date can be brought forward from its planned 2013, to between 2005 and 2008, to avoid the need for expensive life-extension programmes.
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, McDonnell Douglas and Northrop Grumman are believed to have supplied information. Reinheimer says that the funds earmarked for E-2/S-3 upgrades and life-extensions could be sufficient to develop the basic CSA airframe, but that additional money would be required to develop "missionised" variants to replace the airborne-early-warning E-2, anti-submarine-warfare S-3, and carrier- onboard-delivery Grumman C-2, as well as to replace the S-3 in the aerial-refuelling-tanker role.
While the cargo and tanker roles would require relatively little adaptation of the CSA basic airframe, early warning and maritime patrol would require more extensive modifications, he says.
Northrop Grumman's Hawkeye 2005 proposal involves developing an improved mission-system for the E-2 that could be installed later in whatever replacement aircraft emerges (see below).
Source: Flight International
