P-3 Orion’s SMIP Program Keeps on Rolling
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note Sidewinder
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The P-3 Orion remains the USA’s main maritime patrol aircraft, and is also finding use in overland surveillance roles despite the fleet’s age. Earlier DID articles have noted the extra effort required to preserve the USA’s P-3C Orion maritime surveillance & patrol aircraft, along with radar and weapons upgrades. Lockheed has even opened a new production line, to cover wings that have to be replaced.
The SMIP program is intensive depot-level inspection and repair process that includes P-3 airframe and component inspection, identification of problems, and corrective maintenance. The idea is to ensure safe and reliable operation, while trying to get more hours out of each airframe in order to sustain dwindling global fleets. More intensive “MIP” efforts may be launched once inspection results become clear, such as the USA’s P-3 recovery plan and full “ASLEP” re-winging efforts in Norway and Canada.
SMIP work is performed on all types, models and series of P-3 aircraft in the 164-aircraft U.S. Navy fleet, as well as P-3 aircraft supported through U.S. Navy-administered foreign military sales programs. This work includes 2 types of activities…
The first type of activity involves special structural inspections to ensure that corrosion from salt spray, or the stresses of repeated low-level swoops to near-sea level, haven’t created damage that might make the airframe unsafe before the next inspection. These services include:
- P-3 Special Structural Inspections (SSIs);
- Enhanced Special Structural Inspections (ESSIs);
- Fabrication and delivery of Special Structural Inspection Kits (SSI-Ks)
Next comes the actual work done on the aircraft. Sometimes, the work involved is simply regularly scheduled maintenance. Sometimes, the work involves installing new equipment, from upgraded electronics and radars to entirely new sets of wings. These services are referred to under SMIP:
- Phased Depot Maintenance (PDM); and
- Modification/Installation Programs (MIPs).
The exact bundle of work varies to some extent from customer to customer, and MIPs will have contracts of their own attached to cover the cost of the equipment and any work “above and beyond.”
SMIP Contracts
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Unless otherwise noted, The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages these contracts.
As the Nov 21/08 contract makes clear, some SMIP program contract vehicles have become associated with more drastic MIP efforts used by the US Navy, in order to keep its P-3 fleet flying. Because of its emergency nature and operational significance, major “Zone 5 wing replacement” work is covered in the related but separate article “P-3 Recovery Plan Tries to Keep the Fleet in the Air.”
Oct 17/09: Lockheed Martin announces a $17.5 million contract to upgrade existing AN/USQ-78V acoustic subsystems aboard the P-3C Orion. The contract includes upgrades and technical refreshes to software and Acoustic Receiver Tech Refresh hardware designed to comply with the Navy’s open architecture directives, replace obsolete components, provide increased processing capacity, and provide the framework for future aircraft upgrades. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin’s Undersea Systems facility in Manassas, VA; Undersea Systems VP and GM Denise Saiki says that:
“This update provides an open Commercial Off-The-Shelf digital architecture using a modern digital receiver that is common across all maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters…. That helps drive down the total ownership cost of the platforms…”
Sept 17/09: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP in Waco, TX received a $39.7 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award P-3 SMIP contract (N00019-05-D-0013), for special structural inspection kit installation.
Work will be performed in Waco, TX, and is expected to be complete in July 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $7.05 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
June 11/09: Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. in Greenville, SC received a $49.6 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award P-3 SMIP contract (N00019-05-D-0013), for special structural inspection kit installation. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC, and is expected to be complete in July 2011.
Dec 17/08: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems in Waco, TX is being awarded a ceiling priced $136.1 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the P-3C SMIP effort. Work will be performed in Waco, TX and is expected to be complete in December 2009 (N00019-05-D-0008).
Nov 24/08: Lockheed Martin Services, Inc. in Greenville, Sc received a not-to-exceed $11.8 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Special Structural Inspection Kit (SSIK) Revision 7 inspection/ installation on 5 P-3 aircraft. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC, and is expected to be complete in June 2010 (N00019-05-D-0013).
June 12/08: Lockheed Martin Services, Inc., DBA Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics in Greenville, SC received a $9.4 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-05-D-0013) for additional Special Structural Inspection-Kits (SSI-K) for the P-3 aircraft. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC and is expected to be complete in June 2010.
June 4/08: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Global Sustainment in Greenville, SC received a $142.5 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-05-D-0013) to exercise an option for the P-3C SMP effort. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC and is expected to be complete in June 2009.
Feb 26/08: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, LP in Greenville, TX received a $10.7 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the P-3C SMIP effort. Work will be performed in Waco, TX (60%) and Greenville, TX (40%), and is expected to be complete in December 2008 (N00019-05-D-0008).
Dec 27/07: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, LP in Greenville, TX received a $123.4 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the P-3C SMIP effort. Services to be provided include phase depot maintenance, special structural inspections, and special structural inspection kits. Work will be performed in Waco, TX and is expected to be complete in December 2008 (N00019-05-D-0008).
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Sept 25/07: BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services in Rockville, MD recveives a $10.5 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-06-D-0038) for the manufacture of 13 P-3 Special Structural Inspection airframe kits.
This effort entails production of Emergency Rate Initial Production quantities of end item component parts, including engineering, analytical and manufacturing efforts in support of the Aging Aircraft Program; the original $14 million contract was announced on Sept 26/06. Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO (56%); Rockville, MD (24%); and Brea, CA (20%) and is expected to be complete in September 2009. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Patuxent River, MD issued the contract.
June 1/07: Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Global Sustainment in Greenville, SC received a $133.8 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-05-D-0013), exercising an option for the P-3C sustainment, modification and installation program (SMIP). This is an extension of a previous contract that ends this month.
Work will be performed in Greenville, SC, and is expected to be complete in June 2008.
Dec 26/06: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP in Greenville, TX received a $109.4 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-05-D-0008), extending its work by exercising an option under the P-3C Sustainment, Modification and Installation Program (SMIP).
Work will be performed in Greenville, TX (50%); Waco, TX (25%); and Birmingham, AL (25%), and is expected to be complete in December 2007.
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Jan 30/06: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP in Greenville, TX received a $104.2 ceiling-priced modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract N00019-05-D-0008. It exercises an option for the P-3C Sustainment, Modification and Installation Program (SMIP). Work will be performed in Greenville, TX (50%); Waco, TX (25%); and Birmingham, AL (25%), and is expected to be complete in December 2006. L-3 IS release.
June 9/06: Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers in Greenville, SC received a $125.8 million ceiling-priced modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract (N00019-05-D-0013), exercising an option for the P-3C Sustainment, Modification and Installation Program. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC and is expected to be complete in June 2007.
June 10/05: Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers in Greenville, SC received a $121.4 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract for phased depot maintenance, special structural inspections, enhanced special structural inspections, special structural inspection kits, and modification and installation programs for P-3 and EP-3 aircraft. Work will be performed in Greenville, SC, and is expected to be completed in June 2006. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals; 2 offers were received (N00019-05-D-0013).
June 10/05: L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Greenville, TX received a $104.2 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for phased depot maintenance, special structural inspections, enhanced special structural inspections, special structural inspection kits, and modification and installation programs for P-3 and EP-3 aircraft. Work will be performed in Greenville, TX, and is expected to be complete in June 2006. This contract was competitively procured under an electronic request for proposals; 2 offers were received (N00019-05-D-0008).
