Raytheon has been awarded a $46m contract for eight APY-10 radar system production kits for the United Kingdom for the P-8A Poseidon.
The United Kingdom is officially still planning on purchasing nine P-8A aircraft, this discrepancy is strange at first glance but there may be a bit of an explanation in something said last year. Last year, Harriett Baldwin, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence said:
“The Ministry of Defence has ordered nine P–8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the US Government in a Foreign Military Sale arrangement. The UK order forms part of a much larger US order which is being procured in different “lots”, and UK aircraft will be delivered as part of “lots” eight, nine and ten. The first RAF aircraft is expected in 2019, with a further four due in 2020 and delivery of the final four scheduled in 2021.”
It is prudent to compare this statement to this excerpt from the contract notice (displayed below). The notice states that the order of eight APY-10 radar system production kits is in support of “aircraft production lots 8 and 9”. It would appear then that the radar systems for the lot 10 aircraft have not yet been ordered by either the US or UK and that they’ll be ordered in the next batch.
Boeing was recently awarded a $282m contract for procurement of long lead parts for 19 Lot 10 P-8A aircraft, including four for the UK. The officially UK intends to procure 9 of the aircraft in total and had already ordered 5 before this, bringing the total up to 9.
According to a contract noticed released earlier:
“The Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded $46,114,946 for modification P00028 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-15-C-0116) for the procurement of four APY-10 radar system production kits for the Navy, eight for the government of the United Kingdom, four for the government of Australia, and related services in support of P-8A Poseidon aircraft production Lots 8 and 9.
Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas (77.1 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (7.1 percent); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (3.4 percent); Woodland Park, New Jersey (3.4 percent); Black Mountain, North Carolina (1.8 percent); San Carlos, California (1.7 percent); Ashburn, Virginia (1.6 percent); Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada (1.4 percent); Simsbury, Connecticut (1.3 percent); and Clearwater, Florida (1.2 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $46,114,946 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($11,371,053; 25 percent); and FMS ($34,743,893; 75 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.”
The AN/APY-10 is a multifunction radar developed for the Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft. According to the manufacturer, the AN/APY-10 is the latest descendant of a radar family originally developed for Lockheed P-3 Orion, the predecessor of P-8.
In technical terms the AN/APY-10 mechanically scanned radar is a development of Raytheon’s AN/APS-149 radar. Compared to the AN/APS-137, it is smaller in size, lighter, and uses less power. The radar is optimized for maritime, littoral and overland surveillance.
I presume this is being considered as a replacement for the sentinel?
I hope not.
9 is not enough as it is let alone using them for ASTOR mission.
I’ve read somewhere else that it is being considered, I can’t remember if it was on UKDJ or not. I’m sure the findings of the defense review will confirm but as Sentinel was almost cut from the last defense review its bound to be at risk if the government thinks they can serve to capabilities on a single air frame.
It’s sad. As for me ISTAR is a growth area thst should be expanded. And Helicopters. And Transport aircraft.
Sentinel is one of our unique assets other European nations don’t have and we want to bin it.
Agreed 9 is barley enough to cover the MPA commitments let alone additional istar duties. Id understand if we brought more airframes with this in mind.
Evening Gents
To do proper MPA you need at least 5 frames on the line ready to fly.
These kits are to fulfill MPA role based out of RAF Lossiemouth, soon to be a JOint Operating Base with the US, I suspect Norway and probably Canada.
The bigger order now is the E-3 replacement, that’s where Sentinel will be consumed as part of a “rationalisation of fleet types” as a new platform is purchased. The RAF will want a common platform type, commercially based airframe and carrying low technical risk…..thoughts on a postcard
Well for commonality the Wedgetail is the obvious choice.
6 Sentry 4 Sentinel replaced by 6 Wedgetail.
Can the radar do both the JSTARS role and AWACS?
Evening Daniele
I don’t think it is something the Wedgetail can do, hence I would suggest a mixed fleet of unmanned UAV aircraft filling that gap. You will also hear talk of F-35 with its sensors generating part of an overall “fusion array” or language to that effect.
Unfortunately Sentinel, however great now has a shelf life and I cannot see it going past 2025 at the latest, I would even suggest 2021 at the earliest.
Thanks Lee.
Shame. Such a force multiplier.
Which UAV in your opinion may be in the running for the JSTARS role after Sentinel?
Or will we end up in the ridiculous position thst scarce MPA do it? I’d read Posiden can be effective over land.
That is assuming that Protector does not carry the SLAR array for that role. I’ve no idea?
Hi Daniele I think we will be looking very much at the new fleet of Protector UAV’s and meshing them with other arial platforms. It’s all about data fusion now and the ability to take large amounts of data from different feeds and put them together to give you a better picture of the situation around you. The sentinel is a great bit of kit but it is now older technology on an airframe that has already reached its limit and doesn’t include a probe for refuelling. If we had the money and the time to invest in this great… Read more »
Thanks Lee.
So ….. Long lead items ordered for 4 UK Poseiden in lot 10 but 8 APY10 radar sets ordered for lots 8 and 9, which is too many for the aircraft ordered in lots 8 and 9 but 1 short overall. Somebody got their maths wrong?