"Thomas Schoene" wrote in message link.net...
JD wrote:
I was checking out the new Naval Proceedings (I'm a new subscriber)
and saw an advertisement for the 737 as a maritime patrol aircraft
complete with hard points and weapons. It looks pretty cool, but I
was surprised.
Does anyone have it in their present inventory or is it merely a
proposal to replace the aging P-3?

It's one of two candiates for the Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft. The
other, from Lock-Mart, is yet another P-3 rebuild called Orion-21.

The 737 MMA is based on the 737-800 but has a bunch of modifications,
including a -900's wings, heavier gear, and a weapon bay forward of the wing
carry-through.

Indonesia uses (or at elats used to use) three older 737-200s for maritime
surface patrol, with side-looking radar and a camera (plus maybe some SIGINT
gear). Obviously MA is more elaborate.
More Faux Warbird Mania. At least the Navy is showing the good sense
to not expect the MMA to operate over hot battlefields like the ACS
and MC2A are expected to...(AWST 10/13/03)
"Navy officials also are refocusing the aircraft's role, after the P-3
community in recent years watched its mission migrate from
anti-submarine warfare to overland targeting. MMA's core role will be
anti-submarine warfare, stresses Rear Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald, the
service's air warfare director. Overland targeting will be taken up by
UAVs, either a low-flying tactical system or the high-flying Broad
Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) system the service hopes to buy
soon. Although special operations forces have indicated they'd much
rather work with a P-3-type aircraft than an unmanned system,
Fitzgerald stressed that overland targeting "is not a core area" for
the system."

I really wonder what kind of climb/endurance performance the 737 MMA
would have on 1 engine climbing off the deck as depicted and at the
outer stretches of its mission radius with those doors stuck open?
Also those low slung CFMs would be a limiting factor at any field
where FOD would be problem...something that could happen in wartime at
unimproved or damaged fields.
The next time you are at an airport take a good look into the intakes
on some of the 73s at the gates and notice how many have dings blended
out of the fan blades