COMMON SUPPORT AIRCRAFT

The Common Support Aircraft (CSA) will serve as the Navy's carrier-based surveillance, control, and support aircraft for the 21st century, replacing existing S-3B, ES-3A, E-2C, and C-2A aircraft. Envisioned as a single aircraft design, the CSA will be able to carry different mission suites of sensors and avionics in order to fulfill future mission requirements and will possess significant capacity for logistics support and aerial refueling. CSA will facilitate naval fires in the joint warfare battlespace with fuzed tactical data obtained from both on- and off-board sensors and with its organic warfighting capability.

CSA STUDY SYNOPSIS

In 1993, a Naval Aviation study concluded that a "neckdown" of follow-on aircraft was the only affordable procurement strategy for future naval aircraft. Current investments in E-2C production, ongoing C-2 service life extension, and service life extension plans for the S-3 and ES-3 aircraft are needed to ensure that current airframes achieve the 2015 service life goal. Based on current fleet utilization rates and projected support aircraft inventories, the CSA will require a 2012 initial operational capability at the latest. Efforts are being explored to determine if an accelerated profile is feasible.

The study team has established CINC Coordination and Fleet User Teams to ensure the operational concerns of U.S. warfighters are highlighted, and to provide a forum that spans all warfare areas. Phase 1 defined future mission requirements by using top down, strategy-task-technology and quality function deployment methodologies that were rooted in joint military objectives. Phase 1 concluded in early 1997.

During Phase 2, the study will evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of a single airframe vehicle. First, the mission concept of operations in tactical situations will quantify performance values. Existing guidance will be used to examine the aircraft design possibilities for a multi-place aircraft sharing a common airframe, engines, and core avionics and having sufficient internal volume and carriage capability for mission-specific avionics, sensors, stores and weapons. The study group is also working with industry and examining advances in technology and the acquisition process to assess the feasibility of the CSA.

CSA INITIATIVE

The CSA initiative is to commence a baseline development effort for the air vehicle prior to final weapon systems determination for the various mission variants. Based on the current and future "worst case" avionics suite, the baseline aircraft will be sized around the Hawkeye 2006 mission system which will provide growth potential for other mission area requirements and avionics upgrades. Significant work in formulating plans, options and contingencies are ongoing within the Fleet, acquisition community, and industry so that a streamlined effort can be initiated that minimizes program risk while exploiting commercial best practices and methodologies.