BY DOUG WEBB

In today's volatile global environment, the watchword for the U.S. Navy is readiness—being able to deploy and package force response immediately.

To bring the appropriate military capability to virtually any situation, the U.S. Navy has developed Sea Power 21, its vision for projecting decisive joint capabilities from the sea. Sea Power 21 includes three elements: Sea Strike (projecting offense), Sea Shield (projecting defense) and Sea Basing (projecting sovereignty). These are linked by FORCEnet, the framework for naval warfare in the information age. Aimed at connecting systems, FORCEnet allows warfighters, platforms and sensors to rapidly communicate and collaborate in the battlespace.

To help the Navy fulfill this vision, Boeing—through the Naval Systems business unit of Integrated Defense Systems—is bringing together the full capabilities of the company with the best of industry to develop new, innovative, integrated solutions.

John Lockard, vice president and general manager of Boeing Naval Systems, said it's all about making sure everyone is connected.

"The information must be correct, decisions timely, and actions fast and appropriate," he said. "It's really all about completing the circuit and ensuring that the decision makers have the right information at the right time in order to make the right choices."

Lockard believes this approach to effects-based operations can enable the commander to achieve "knowledge superiority" over the enemy, exploit weaknesses, counter strengths and provide unparalleled situational awareness to the warfighter.

Naval Systems' business model features a three-pronged strategy aimed at executing on current programs, positioning for future growth and emphasizing the leadership skills necessary to accomplish these goals and objectives—all focused on helping the U.S. Navy achieve its Sea Power 21, FORCEnet is aimed at developing a system of systems to allow all elements of the battlespace to communicate and collaborate to achieve combat superiority. Naval Systems executives said the organization uses a network-centric approach to tie together existing and emerging technologies to improve the capabilities of existing products and deliver new solutions sooner than expected.

To this end, Jim Albaugh, IDS president and CEO, said that Boeing and its industry partners are proving that legacy and new systems can be transformed into integrated solutions. This can be accomplished by networking aircraft such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with unmanned combat air vehicles, satellites, command-and-control aircraft and the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA). "As nodes on a network, each could provide information to the commanders, pilots and soldiers," Albaugh said. "By having a constant presence across the entire spectrum of the battlefield, you are guaranteed consistent knowledge of the enemy and its movements. This improves efficiency and, most importantly, saves lives and equipment."

A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP

The fact that Naval Systems was formed less than three years ago does not accurately reflect Boeing's long-term relationship with the Navy and Marine Corps.

From the earliest days of aviation, the Navy realized the value of combining sea- and air-based operations.

In 1918, Boeing began supplying the Navy with the model C trainer. In 1921, the Navy contracted the Douglas Aircraft Company to build torpedo bombers (DT-1 and DT-2). By 1924, Boeing and Douglas were involved in carrier operations aboard the U.S.S. Langley. And in 1946, a McDonnell FH-1 Phantom made the historic first carrier takeoff and landing by a jet aircraft.

Today, Naval Systems, a St. Louis–based organization that has 5,600 employees, is divided into six distinct businesses: aircraft, weapons, satellites, ship and submarine systems, network-centric systems, and advanced aircraft and exploratory concepts.

Lockard said this customer-facing approach is intended to help customers project global power, extend homeland security presence and ensure knowledge superiority across a unified battlespace. Not so coincidentally, those three objectives reflect the goals of Sea Power 21.

Naval Systems has a banner year in 2004. Setting the tone was a late 2003 multiyear procurement contract award, valued at $8.6 billion, for the production of an additional 210 F/A-18 Super Hornets and a $1 billion contract for system design and development of the EA-18G airborne electronic attack aircraft.

Then in June, Boeing won the MMA systems development and design contract, valued at $3.89 billion. The aircraft, a derivative of the 737-800, will be militarized with maritime weapons and a modern open mission system architecture. It will feature commercial airline–like support for affordability. The Navy has stated that it intends to purchase 108 production-model aircraft; total life cycle costs are estimated at around $44 billion.

"Our customers like what we do," Lockard noted, "and the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft contract win is a good example. By working together with Boeing Commercial Airplanes, we were able to bring together the best our company has to offer and develop a creative solution to reduce production costs and time."

douglas.m.webb@boeing.com

Naval Systems: Tuned in to programs

The 5,600 people of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems' Naval Systems unit are proud of the reputation they have earned when it comes to program execution. They have set company and industry standards for on-time or ahead-of-schedule deliveries while staying on or under budget. Among Naval Systems' programs is the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Here's a look at some other Naval Systems programs.

EA-18G Boeing and the U.S. Navy signed a five-year System Development and Demonstra-tion contract in late 2003 for an Airborne Electronic Attack aircraft to replace the EA-6B Prowler. The SDD contract for that aircraft, the EA-18G, runs from 2004 through early 2009. It encompasses all laboratory, ground and fight tests, from component-level testing through full-up EA-18G weapons-system-performance fight testing. Boeing plans to fly the first production EA-18G in October 2007, with initial operating capability for the EA-18G expected in 2009. The program already has completed all wind tunnel testing and several key design reviews. It currently is conducting antenna range testing.
	Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft In June 2004, Boeing won the MMA systems development and design contract, valued at $3.89 billion. MMA is a derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, with increased gross weight capability. The aircraft will be militarized with maritime weapons, a modern open-mission-system architecture, and airline-like support for affordability. The aircraft will be modified to include a bomb bay, pylons for two weapon stations on each wing and two centerline weapon stations. The Navy has stated that it intends to purchase 108 production-model aircraft; total life cycle costs are estimated at around $44 billion.
V-22 The only vertical-lift aircraft capable of self deploying to any theater of operations, the V-22 can fly six times as far, twice as fast and carry three times as much weight as the helicopters it is replacing. The ability to transport troops into and out of danger zones will enable the V-22 to help forces respond more quickly during emergencies. Currently, 17 aircraft are involved in testing. The program is on track for a Milestone III decision in late 2005 that will put the program on the path to full production.
	SLAM-ER The Standoff Land Attack Missile–Expanded Response is the only air-to-surface weapon that can engage fixed or moving targets on the land and sea, providing the customer with a distinct advantage. SLAM-ER is a day/night, adverse-weather, over-the-horizon precision strike missile for the U.S. Navy. SLAM-ER addresses the Navy's requirements for a precision-guided Standoff Outside of Area Defense weapon.
Harpoon Harpoon Block II expands the capabilities of the Harpoon anti-ship weapon, featuring autonomous, all-weather, over-the-horizon capability. Harpoon Block II is capable of executing both land-strike and anti-ship missions. To strike targets on land and ships in port, the missile uses GPS-aided inertial navigation to hit a designated target aim point. Twenty-six international customers, 11 of which have Block II capability, currently have Harpoons in their arsenals.
	T-45 Goshawk training system Nearly half of all the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aviators who participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom received initial jet fight training in a T-45. The program deliv-ered six aircraft in 2004 and is scheduled to deliver 15 in 2005. Since starting production in the 1990s, Boeing has delivered more than 175 of these planes to the Navy. Boeing is pursuing possible international sales as well.
Will Anderson removes excess sealer from an F/A-18E/F outer-wing skin at the St. Louis site. (Peter George photo)
Joe Butler installs wiring in an F/A-18E/F nose barrel at the St. Louis facility. (Peter George photo)