Carrier Delivery Aircraft Development Contract Planned For 2016

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy plans to award a development contract for its next-generation carrier-onboard-delivery (COD) aircraft during the second quarter of 2016, with initial operational capability scheduled for a decade later in 2026.

The Navy expects to issue a competitive request for proposals (RFP) in fiscal 2014. The service completed an analysis of alternatives for Airborne Resupply/Logistics for Seabasing (AR/LSB) in October.

The current fleet of 35 Northrop Grumman-built C-2A Greyhound COD aircraft will begin retirement in 2028 and by 2031 “will be insufficient to support warfighting requirements,” said Brian Scolpino, program manager, Carrier Onboard Delivery Advanced Development Program Office, at Naval Air Systems Command.

“The requirements for the next COD, including range, radius and payload, will be shared with our industry partners in the competitive request for proposal planned for fiscal year ‘14,” Scolpino said. “We do anticipate an Industry Day prior to the RFP release. However, based on insight gained from the preparatory analysis, most recent being the AR/LSB Analysis of Alternatives Update, the fundamental performance requirements [range/payload] will be consistent with the C-2A.”

Northrop Grumman is expected to offer a modernized C-2 with the wings, engines and empennage of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye radar warning aircraft. Bell-Boeing is expected to propose a version of its V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport aircraft.

A Military Utility Assessment of the Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey was conducted June 12-17 onboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman “with the purpose of assessing the V-22’s integration into carrier cyclic operations during performance of the COD mission,” Scolpino said.

A modernized C-2 and a V-22 version are expected to compete for the program, but competition will be open to other concepts.