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P-3C Orion

Raytheon Co. in McKinney, TX received a $96.5 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-05-D-0003). This modification continues the refinement of the AN/APS-137D(V)5 maritime radar system, by exercising an option for the development, testing, and incorporation of enhanced precision targeting.

So, what does this radar do, and why is it so important?

P-8A MMA Concept
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APS-137 is a multi-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) system used for anti-surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare. It performs long-range surface search and target tracking, periscope detection, ship imaging and classification using ISAR. The SAR capability is used for overland surveillance, targeting and ground mapping. It is used in America’s current land-based and carrier-borne fleet, and its core technologies will serve on the future P-8A MMA program as well.

The US Navy’s S-3 Vikings are equipped with APS-137. P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft are equipped with APS-137B(V)5, while advanced P-3C Orion ASUW/AIP marine patrol aircraft are equipped with APS-137D(V)5 and have been in high demand over land and water as a result.

Their successor aircraft the P-8 MMA will also be equipped with an APS-137D(V)5 variant, which offers reduced weight, improved MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), and a color weather display. In the P-8A, it will also feature improvements such as joint technical architecture compliance for seamless net-centric operation as part of the Boeing aircraft backbone, better performance in track-while-scan and target detection modes, and full integration with the Boeing mission system. This enhanced system has been referred to as AN/APS-197, but was formally given the AN/APY-10 designation in June 2006. As the Raytheon release notes:

“Although the APY-10 has all the capabilities of the Navy’s AN/APS-137 maritime surveillance radar, Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) believed extensive modifications to the P-8A radar justified a request for new nomenclature.”

Work on this contract modification will be performed in McKinney, TX and is expected to be complete in November 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., issued the contract.

The original contract awarded under this designation was awarded almost a year ago, on Dec 14, 2004. Raytheon Co. in McKinney, TX received a ceiling amount $103 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of up to 32 AN/APS-137D(V)5 Radar Units for the P-3 Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) Improvement Program (AIP).

This contract also provided for non-recurring engineering to replace obsolete components, and modification of control indicators for incorporation into within the AN/APS-137D(V)5, radar system. Work was performed in McKinney, TX (85%); Dallas, TX (13%); and St. Petersberg, FL (2%), and is expected to be complete in December 2006. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-05-D-0003)