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GERMANY AND ITALY SEEK A REPLACEMENT FOR THEIR ATLANTICS

The Br 1150 Atlantics operated by Naval Aviation Wing 3 (MFG3) have all been in service for at least 30 years - and in the view of the pilots it is high time for a successor. Twice before now, at the end of the 1970s and again at the end of the 1980s, vain first steps were made towards procuring a new maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. Finally it seems the third attempt will succeed, for without a high-performance maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) the Navy will simply not be able to fulfil all the different missions expected of it.

The end of the Cold War may have changed the requirements for an MPA, but they have not become any simpler. ASW remains a central role, and here the emphasis has shifted from defence against strategic nuclear submarines to the even more difficult task of combating conventional submarines in coastal waters.

In addition, maritime surveillance and anti-surface vessel operations have increased in importance, as seen, for example, in sea blockades of the kind imposed last year in the Mediterranean against Yugoslavia. Nowadays an MPA is also expected to be able to support amphibious operations. Then there are the standard secondary roles of search and rescue (SAR), offshore patrol and environmental surveillance.

Yesterday's mission equipment is no longer capable of handling effectively such a wide range of operations. A central element to the aircraft's capability is a Tactical Command System (TCS) with up to seven identical operator consoles. These convey the current tactical situation to the crew on large colour screens and enable monitoring and control of the various systems:

• The radar is the most important sensor for the gathering of intelligence on surface vessels and is required to detect large targets at a range of up to 185km. Even in rough seas, it must also be capable of tracking down submarine periscopes.
• Electro-optical devices such as FLIR (movable infrared sensor) and low-light TV cameras permit the passive identification of targets at short range.
• A modern acoustics system capable of processing data from a minimum of 32 sonobuoys simultaneously remains the most important tool in the ASW role.
• A magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) used to locate metallic objects continues to be carried in the stern as before.
• An electronic support measures (ESM) system scans a wide range of frequencies for suspicious emissions (radar, radio) and locates and classifies them.
• As the MPA operates in littoral areas, it requires a defensive aids subsystem (DASS) to defend itself against air-to-air and ground-to-air radar- and infrared-guided weapons.
• Data links ensure that the aircraft is in constant communication with other aircraft, ships and ground stations.
• Armaments include, as before, torpedoes, mines and air-to-ship guided weapons of various sizes. One possible candidate here could be the Maverick.

Integration of all these components today relies heavily on the TCS, which is designed as an open system with standard interfaces and off-the-shelf data buses. Wherever possible, civilian products are used both for the computers and the software. This reduces the programming effort required and makes upgrading over the course of the MPA's service life, which may be as long as 50 years, a lot easier.

The mission systems must be accommodated in an aircraft which offers sufficient space for up to 12 crew members, allows a high weapons and equipment payload to be carried and also has the necessary range. Time on station must be at least eight hours. Then of course operating costs must be kept down through means such as equipment which requires little maintenance and saving on crew by implementing a two-man cockpit.

All these considerations resulted after two years of feasibility studies in the issue in November 1998 of a Common European Staff Target (COEST) and the corresponding German Technical Tactical Requirements (TTF). Germany and Italy signed a Memorandum of Understanding allowing for a joint definition phase. This will run until 31 January 2001 and is aimed at producing a detailed request for proposals (RFP).

In a departure from the normal procedure, the technical specifications are not being written by officials but have been contracted out to industry. Germany has so far commissioned studies worth around DM25 million (approx. $11 million).

A joint venture company, Europatrol, was founded by EADS Deutschland (formally Dasa) and Alenia in the autumn of 1999, and this is preparing an 800-page document specifying the MPA requirements for issue at the end of September. Europatrol is also to deliver a sophisticated computer programme which will be used subsequently to evaluate the tenders.

The MPA programme's financial and industry policy requirements (for example 100% compensation through offsets) will naturally receive an input from the two defence ministries and the relevant procurement agencies, which in Germany's case is the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB). The complete document is to be sent out to prospective tenderers before the end of the year.

These include Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Dassault Aviation and Boeing, although the latter has not yet decided whether it wishes to bid. It will be important for these companies to be able to offer a balanced price-performance ratio while at the same time offering German and Italian industry technologically interesting workshares. In this connection EADS and Alenia are hoping to set up a joint venture company with one of the bidders.

According to the latest schedule, the proposal submission date is set for the middle of 2001. A winner could then be selected by the end of next year. Depending on how long the necessary parliamentary consultation and contract negotiations take, contract award could take place by the middle of 2002. This would be consistent with first deliveries to the German Navy in 2007 and to the Italian Navy in 2008. The maximum requirement is for 12 and 14 aircraft respectively. In Germany the number that is finally settled on will depend on a structural re-think that is currently under way.

It seems unlikely that the total requirement will exceed two dozen aircraft, but nevertheless the programme is expected to cost in the region of DM6 to 7 billion ($2.6 to $3 billion) Above all, the successful tenderer will then be well placed to make further sales, for Germany and Italy are not the only countries seeking to replace their fleets of MPA/ASW aircraft, and many other countries have a requirement to at least modernise their systems.

For example, France recently signed an addendum to the German-Italian Memorandum of Understanding, allowing it to participate in the procurement process as an observer. This will provide the Aéronavale with an insight into the system selection process, possibly enabling it to participate in parts of the procurement programme with a view to upgrading its Atlantique 2s from around 2010. This move will also improve the opening position of the French armaments industry.

The biggest market is of course the USA, where in July the US Navy awarded contracts to study the requirement for a new Multi-mission Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MMA) to Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. The four companies are now studying the whole spectrum of possibilities, which range from a modernised P-3 Orion or a converted 737 through to a new aircraft or the use of unmanned air vehicles.

From page 52 of FLUG REVUE 11/2000