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Poland, Canada join NATO members in potential maritime surveillance aircraft buy

MarkOttawa

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Pushing Bombardier Global 6000 airframe no doubt:

Poland and Canada have agreed to join a coalition of NATO countries seeking to jointly buy a fleet of maritime surveillance aircraft.

The two countries bring the total number of nations investing in the Multinational Maritime Multi Mission Aircraft Capabilities program to eight. The program launched with France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey in June 2017.

“This joint effort recognizes the fact that the majority of Allies’ maritime patrol aircraft fleets will be reaching the end of their operational lives between 2025 and 2035,“ NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller said in a statement through the alliance.

However, Gottemoeller emphasized that “the goal here isn’t just a drawing board design — we need a new generation of aircraft, in the air, fulfilling what is an increasingly important mission.”

And indeed, the program is still in the earliest stages, and it is unclear what may actually come from it [emphasis added].

The NATO announcement notes that the partners have been working to “define a common requirements document,” with the goal of having those requirements laid out by the end of this year.

In terms of potential aircraft, Boeing will undoubtedly encourage the partners to buy the P-8, which is already operated by the U.S., U.K. and Norway.

Those three NATO partners have an agreement on joint procurement for maintenance and equipment on that plane, which could potentially be expanded for the eight nations in the MMMA program...

However, Airbus is likely to offer its A319 maritime patrol aircraft option, which could appeal to the European nations in the program.

Additionally, Canada is embroiled in a spat with Boeing due to the American company’s battle with Canadian commercial aviation giant Bombardier. The row has already cost Boeing an expected sale of F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters; as a result, Canada may not be enthusiastic about buying the P-8.

Along those lines, the Saab Swordfish — based on a Bombardier Global 6000 body — would likely be another contender [emphasis added, no sales yet though is competing in South Korea, Singapore). The company has marketed the plane as having four “NATO-compatible hardpoints” that can accommodate up to six lightweight torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.
https://www.defensenews.com/smr/munich-security-forum/2018/02/15/poland-canada-join-nato-members-in-potential-maritime-surveillance-aircraft-buy/

Mark
Ottawa
 
Then again, SAAB and Bombardier could apply their workings to a CS300 derivative which would keep Airbus just as happy as the A319 as they are not selling well anyways and could be dropped in the near future.
 
And probably annoy Boeing even more, if somebody wished to do so, out of vengeful spite.
 
Loachman said:
And probably annoy Boeing even more, if somebody wished to do so, out of vengeful spite.

But somewhere there might be a downside, too...
 
Mission systems that are advanced don't necessarily equal "less operators required".  That is a nice sound bite that doesn't really work in the MPA world in my experience.  You can't have sensor operators staring at the same screen for X/XX hours and expect that sensor to be 'optimized' - mental and visual fatigue are reality.

Anyways...I'm sure the MPA replacement will go similar to the fighter and FWSAR one and I'll be CRA long before anyone needs to worry about this and I've still got 12-13 years to go.  I suspect what we do get will be a short of actual requirements and the LRP community will have to suck it up anyways.
 
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