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Lockheed Martin Orion 21

Type
Anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare aircraft

Country (Land)
USA

Manufacturer (Hersteller)
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company
Marietta, Georgia
USA

General (Allgemeine Angaben)
Crew (Besatzung): 2 in the cockpit plus operators in the cabin

Power plant (Antrieb): 4 x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150 turboprop
Power (Leistung): 4 x 5215 kW (7000 shp)
Propeller: Hamilton Sundstrand NP2000, 8 blades, as used o the E-2C and C-2

Dimensions (Abmessungen)
Length (Länge): 35,61 m
Height (Höhe): 10,27 m
Span (Spannweite): 30,37 m
Wing area (Flügelfläche): 120,8 m2

Weights (Massen)
Weapons load: 4500 kg are demanded, 5670 kg would be desirable

Performance (Flugleistungen)
Initial on-station altitude: 25000 ft is demanded, 40000 ft are desirable
Endurance: 4 hours on station at 1200 NM from base is demanded. 4 hours at 1600 NM would be desirable.

Customers (Kunden)
None, as the Orion21 was beaten by the Boeing 737 in the MMA comptetion. The US Navy was seeking around 105 - 115 aircraft for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare to replace its P-3 Orions (250 were in service in early 2004). This figure assumes there will be an UAV adjunct (23-40 aircraft).
It was also said that 15 to 20 more MMAs could be needed if the requirement to replace the EP-3E Aries II is added again to the project. For now, this should be covered by a maritime version of the US Army´s Aerical Common Sensor programme.

Costs (Kosten)
The MMA program could have a value of over 2 billion US-Dollars in development alone.

Competition (Konkurrenz)
Boeing 737 MMA

Remarks (Bemerkungen)
The Orion21 was a “rugged, all new-production weapon system based on the proven P-3 airframe… reflecting six decades of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance experience”, says Lockheed Martin. Salient features were:

New Pratt & Whitney PW150 engines, originally used for regional turboprops, with an eight blade propeller
Open systems architecture avionics
Logistics support programme focused on real time fleet health assessment
50 per cent increase in mission range and endurance over legacy systems

History (Geschichte)
The MMA program began with a so called Milestone 0 (now Milestone A) decision by the Defense Acquisition Board on 22 March 2000, because of the need to fill the void that will be created by the retirement of fatigued P-3Cs. Navy officials first began by planning to extend the life of the P-3Cs, but, after a cost/benefit/risk analysis, the structural renewal process involved in a service life extension program proved to be less cost-effective and more risky than other options – including manufacturing a new, more technologically advanced P-3 or using a derivative of other existing airframes.
An analysis of alternatives (AoA) study was conducted by the Navy in 2000. In support of the AoA, industry concept studies were made from June 2000 to January 2001 (contract award on 10 June). Participants were:
  - Lockheed Martin: Remanufactures P-3
  - Raytheon: Remanufactured P-3
  - Boeing: 737 derivative concept
  - Northrop Grumman: Global Hawk UAV adjunct
In January 2001, the Secretary of the Navy accelerated the MMA program by three-to-five years to attain IOC in the Fiscal Year 2010 to 2012 timeframe, thereby obviating a service life extension for the P-3s.
The MMA Acquisition Strategy had been approved and signed by Mr. Aldridge, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics on 8 February 2002.
After BAE System withdrew its offer, the US Navy awarded Component Advanced Development Phase I contracts to Boeing (737) and Lockheed Martin (Orion21) on 10 September 2002. They were valued at almost 7 million US-Dollars.
During the five-month Phase I effort, Boeing and Lockheed Martin validated risk mitigations for their concepts via modelling and simulation. They defined and selected system architecture, refined systems requirements and developed Milestone-B acquisition documentation. Lockheed Martins trade study baseline concept consisted of three primary elements: a new-production, armed aircraft derived from the P-3 Orion; a state-of-the-art mission system with inherent growth capability via spiral development; and an integrated support system providing high availability at significant reduced operating costs.
The contract for CAD Phase II was awarded in February 2003. It was planned to last about 11 months at first, but was later extended to 14 and then to 15 months to the end of April 2004
A draft RFP for systems development and demonstration (SDD) was released on 15 July 2003.
On 28 October 2003, the NAVAIR Maritime Surveillance Aircraft Programme office (PMA 290) rleased a request for proposal (RFP) for the MMA. Before that, on 30 September, a Performance Based Specification was completed as the most significant part of the RFP.
On 16 December 2003, Lockheed Martin announced that it had chosen the PW 150A engine and the NP2000 propeller for the new Orion version, now named Orion21. By that time, increased zero fuel and gross takeoff weights were planned.
The US Navy planed to award a single contract for MMA System Development and Demonstration (SDD) in early 2004. That date has slipped a bit due to a “strategic pause” to incorporate Task Force ASW recommendations. An Acquisition Review board Meeting was held at patuxent River on 11 March 2004, and announcement of the MMA competition winner was then expected for 28 May 2004.
John Young, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition did announce the selection of the Boeing MMA proposal on 14 June 2004. This left Lockheed Matin empty handed after it had dominated US maritime patrol programmes for four decades.

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Last updated 17 June 2004

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