Multi-mssn Maritime Aircraft (MMA) (P-8A)

Abstract

The P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) will replace the aging P-3 aircraft. The P-8A program was initiated in response to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) validated Mission Needs Statement, "Broad Area Maritime and Littoral Armed Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance" and the requirements for the program are defined in the P-8A Capability Production Document #791-88-09, validated and approved on 22 June 2009. A successful Critical Design Review was completed in June 2007. In August 2007 the Design Readiness Review was conducted and resulted in approval to obligate funding for the fabrication of the Stage II flight test aircraft. The first flight of P-8A occurred on 25 Apr 2009. Milestone C was successfully completed on 11 August 2010. The program completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) in March 2013 and achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in November 2013. The Acquisition Decision Memorandum approved entry into Full Rate Production on January 3, 2014. The primary objectives of Systems Development and Demonstration (SDD) are to perform the system detailed design, develop and produce Systems Integration Labs, develop and build ground and flight test articles, and conduct ground and flight tests to successfully achieve program milestones. Ground testing includes the conduct of static testing, fatigue testing and Live Fire Test and Evaluation. Six flight test aircraft have been built during SDD (PU 2696). These test aircraft are grouped into two stages based on which phase of the test program the aircraft will support. SDD Stage I flight test aircraft (FY06/Qty-3) support Integrated Test and Evaluation (IT&E). SDD Stage II flight test aircraft (FY09/Qty-3) supported the completion of IT&E and IOT&E after being updated to the production configuration. The SDD contract includes the development and initial building of training devices to support IOT&E. The scope of SDD includes activities necessary to facilitate an efficient transition of the fleet to achieve the P-8A IOC of SDD (PU 2696) in CY13. The scope of SDD also includes the engineering and verification of corrected deficiencies identified in testing and Fleet operational use. P-8A entered Production and Deployment phase in the 4th quarter of FY10 and entered Full Rate Production in 2nd quarter of FY14. P-8A program is based on an evolutionary acquisition strategy consisting of sequential incremental enhancements to system capabilities that will retain cost-wise effectiveness for winning major combat operations. In order to pace the threat, Spiral One (Increment 2), the Next Phase of Capabilities, will incorporate the following capabilities into the P-8A: Multi-Static Active Coherent (MAC), Automatic Identification System, Rapid Capabilities Insertion (RCI), updates to the Tactical Operations Center (TOC), as well as additional Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare and Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities as Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs). The scope of this effort includes the integration, design, ground testing (lab & aircraft) and flight test of the capability enhancements to the P-8A and associated Tactical Operations Center ground support facilities and initial trainers. Integration and test of these capabilities as well as integration of Advanced Airborne Sensor capability will be accomplished incrementally, based on the scope of the integration effort. This includes support of Special Mission Configuration Test Program. The P-8A MMA program also includes a sequence of RCI's and rapid development efforts to respond to evolving threats which will retain cost-wise effectiveness for winning major combat operations. In order to pace the threat, these efforts will incorporate incremental software and hardware improvements to existing sensors, communications systems, mission systems, weapons capabilities and TOC to build on the P-8A capability baseline. These capabilities, and other emergent capability requirements, will be prioritized through the Navy Integration and Interoperability (I&I)-aligned Capability Prioritization Process (CPP) and P-8A Tier 3 Capability Roadmap. The CPP process will be supported by detailed analysis and the maturation of developing technologies. RCI 4 capabilities include Tactical Swap Application; Theatre ASW Application; PMA 264 Advanced Product Build (APB) which consists of MAC Continuous Active Sonar/Continuous CW transmission (CAS/CCW), SSQ-62 DICASS Auto Dect and MAC Adaptive Beamforming; Combat System Optimization and Digital Wideband Receiver (DWR). Rapid Development efforts include Airborne Weapons Simulator and ASW Sonobuoy receiver digitization for SSQ-125A. Budget Activity 5. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: This program is funded under SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION because it includes those projects that have passed Milestone B approval and are conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirement prior to full-rate production decision.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
0605500N_5_1319_PB_2020
Change Summary Explanation
The FY 2020 funding request was increased by $11.300M to support the final phase of Airborne Weapons Simulator development. This is a critical enabler for crew weapons currency and proficiency for all P-8A weapons and will contribute to decreasing future weapons procurement training costs. Technical: Not applicable. Schedule: Not applicable.
Service Agency Name
Navy

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Active Sonar
  • Combat Operations
  • Contracts
  • Cost Analysis
  • Deployment
  • Detectors
  • Engineering
  • Fabrication
  • Identification Systems
  • Navy
  • Procurement
  • Surveillance
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Training
  • Training Devices
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.
  • Software Engineering

Technology Areas

  • 5G
  • 5G - DoD 5G Program

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