"We won!" "We did it!" These are just a couple of the cries that could be heard at various sites when Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition John Young announced that the Boeing-led industry team won the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) competition. But the reality of winning the $3.89 billion System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract is that the team must now actually build the aircraft.

"Every day of this SDD phase is critical to us," said U.S. Navy Capt. Steve Eastburg, program manager for maritime surveillance aircraft. "We should all have a sense of urgency. This program is critically, critically important to the Navy and the nation. The eyes of the world are on us."

The 737 MMA is a derivative of the Boeing 737-800 that will transform how the Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance force will man, train, operate and deploy. Ultimately, the MMA will replace the U.S. Navy's aging fleet of P-3C Orion aircraft which are approaching the end of their fatigue life.

"This is an exciting program to be working on," said Tony Parasida, Boeing vice president for Maritime Systems. "It's really critical that we get started well, because if you don't get started well, you won't finish well. We don't want to perform just to contract. We want to perform better than the contract. Our goal is to perform better than every program that's out there."

SDD is a critical phase during which the program, the system architecture, and system elements are defined. During SDD, systems design requirements are allocated down to the major subsystem level, and are refined as a result of developmental and operational tests, and iterative systems engineering analyses. This is also the phase of a program during which the support concept and strategy are refined.

The 737 MMA has generated a great deal of international interest, especially among many of the 15 countries that fly the P-3. During a press conference in November 2004, Capt. Eastburg told reporters that Australia, Canada and Italy were the most likely international candidates to join the development effort. Formal negotiations between the Navy and international partners are expected to begin this year and will hopefully conclude by late spring or early summer.

The Boeing-led industry team consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Smiths Aerospace. A total of five test aircraft will be produced during SDD. First flight is expected in early 2009. Current Navy plans call for the purchase of up to 108 MMAs.