Aging Aircraft: BAE’s Structural Inspection Kits for P-3s

P-3C Orion(click to view full) BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services in Rockville, MD recveived a $10.6 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. The US military has a growing issue with aging aircraft, and its P-3 Orion maritime surveillance fleet is particularly hard hit because of the planes’ demanding low-level maritime flight profile. Numbers continue to decline each year as aircraft are forced out of service, even though the US Navy is taking a wide range of measures to keep its planes flying until the hoped-for P-8A Poseidons arrive to replace them. Other Orion users like Australia, Canada, and Norway are also taking measures to keep their […]