Aerial Common Sensor
Encyclopedia
The Lockheed Martin
Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) platform was a reconnaissance aircraft
airframe, for the United States
Army
and Navy
. The aircraft would have been able to detect troop movements, intercept enemy communications
and radar
transmissions, and communicate with other aircraft. It would have had synthetic aperture radar
, electro-optical and infrared
detection instrumentation. The program was cancelled on January 12, 2006.
The Army intended to acquire 34 units, with 19 going to the Navy. The initial contract, awarded on August 3, 2004, was valued at $79 million, but total contract value through 2010 would have been $879 million. Beyond that, the total program cost was to reach $7 billion, with only 20–30% going to the platform vendor. The ACS would have replaced three existing Army and Navy platforms—the RC-7 ARL
, RC-12/RU-21 Guardrail
, and EP-3E Aries II. Testing was to begin in 2006, and full-rate production would have begun in 2009. While the Army was fully committed, the Navy was not and may instead opt for a modified version of the P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
.
The Lockheed Martin entry beat a consortium of Northrop Grumman
and General Dynamics Gulfstream
, using the G450 platform. The competing entry attempted to play up nationalist sympathies, and give the impression of a security risk by using a Brazil
ian airframe, provided by EMBRAER
, using their more affordable, reliable, and cost effective (the latter two being questioned) ERJ 145 platform — Gulfstream's airframe did have longer range and could fly at higher altitudes but the acquisition and operational costs (main requirements of DoD for ACS platform) of ERJ 145 were considered much more attractive. Both electronics packages were equivalent and had no major influence in this decision. It was later decided that the ERJ 145 would not suffice due to weight constraints, and thus, while Lockheed was to retain the system integrator
role, the Army attempted to re-bid platform entry among several larger aircraft.
EMBRAER was to produce the first five airframes in Brazil (based upon the commercial ERJ 145), while final assembly on following units would have taken place in Jacksonville
, Florida
, to satisfy Department of Defense workshare requirements. Electronics integration will be conducted by Lockheed Martin at an unannounced site.
Lockheed has faced criticism from the Department of Defense
, and specifically, the U.S. Army, for not being able to properly forecast weight issues with the system. The Army claimed in an August 11, 2005 article in The Wall Street Journal
that Lockheed could potentially lose the contract if they did not resolve the issue.
ACS was cancelled on January 12, 2006. The Department of Defense paid a contract termination fee
of $200 million, nearly all of which was passed on to subcontractors such as Argon ST
, Harris Corporation
, and L-3 Communications
. Most Lockheed Martin and Army personnel were reassigned to other projects.
On November 2, 2006 the US Army revealed it has plans to revive the ACS program in 2009, and conducted an Industry Day in mid-October. The Army continues to envision the ACS program as capable of meeting US Navy ISR needs for a replacement of the EP-3E Aries II
.
Boeing is pitching a modified version of the P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
to fill the ACS role.
The ACS project has since been superseded by EMARSS
, based on a smaller aircraft.
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) platform was a reconnaissance aircraft
Reconnaissance aircraft
A reconnaissance aircraft is a manned military aircraft designed, or adapted, to carry out aerial reconnaissance.-History:The majority of World War I aircraft were reconnaissance designs...
airframe, for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. The aircraft would have been able to detect troop movements, intercept enemy communications
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
and radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
transmissions, and communicate with other aircraft. It would have had synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic aperture radar
Synthetic-aperture radar is a form of radar whose defining characteristic is its use of relative motion between an antenna and its target region to provide distinctive long-term coherent-signal variations that are exploited to obtain finer spatial resolution than is possible with conventional...
, electro-optical and infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
detection instrumentation. The program was cancelled on January 12, 2006.
The Army intended to acquire 34 units, with 19 going to the Navy. The initial contract, awarded on August 3, 2004, was valued at $79 million, but total contract value through 2010 would have been $879 million. Beyond that, the total program cost was to reach $7 billion, with only 20–30% going to the platform vendor. The ACS would have replaced three existing Army and Navy platforms—the RC-7 ARL
De Havilland Canada Dash 7
The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
, RC-12/RU-21 Guardrail
C-12 Huron
The C-12 Huron is the military designation for a series of twin-engine turboprop aircraft based on the Beechcraft Super King Air and Beechcraft 1900. C-12 variants are used by the United States Air Force, United States Army, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps...
, and EP-3E Aries II. Testing was to begin in 2006, and full-rate production would have begun in 2009. While the Army was fully committed, the Navy was not and may instead opt for a modified version of the P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a military aircraft currently being developed for the United States Navy . The P-8 is being developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800...
.
The Lockheed Martin entry beat a consortium of Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
and General Dynamics Gulfstream
Gulfstream Aerospace
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is a producer of several models of jet aircraft. Gulfstream has been a unit of General Dynamics since 1999.The company has produced more than 1,500 aircraft for corporate, government, private, and military customers around the world...
, using the G450 platform. The competing entry attempted to play up nationalist sympathies, and give the impression of a security risk by using a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian airframe, provided by EMBRAER
Embraer
Embraer S.A. is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and executive aircraft and provides aeronautical services....
, using their more affordable, reliable, and cost effective (the latter two being questioned) ERJ 145 platform — Gulfstream's airframe did have longer range and could fly at higher altitudes but the acquisition and operational costs (main requirements of DoD for ACS platform) of ERJ 145 were considered much more attractive. Both electronics packages were equivalent and had no major influence in this decision. It was later decided that the ERJ 145 would not suffice due to weight constraints, and thus, while Lockheed was to retain the system integrator
System integrator
A systems integrator is a person or company that specializes in bringing together component subsystems into a whole and ensuring that those subsystems function together, a practice known as System Integration...
role, the Army attempted to re-bid platform entry among several larger aircraft.
EMBRAER was to produce the first five airframes in Brazil (based upon the commercial ERJ 145), while final assembly on following units would have taken place in Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, to satisfy Department of Defense workshare requirements. Electronics integration will be conducted by Lockheed Martin at an unannounced site.
Lockheed has faced criticism from the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, and specifically, the U.S. Army, for not being able to properly forecast weight issues with the system. The Army claimed in an August 11, 2005 article in The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
that Lockheed could potentially lose the contract if they did not resolve the issue.
ACS was cancelled on January 12, 2006. The Department of Defense paid a contract termination fee
Termination fee
A termination fee is a charge levied when a party wants to break the term of an agreement or long-term contract. They are stipulated in the contract or agreement itself, and provide an incentive for the party subject to them to abide by the agreement....
of $200 million, nearly all of which was passed on to subcontractors such as Argon ST
Argon ST
Argon ST is a systems engineering and development company headquartered in Fairfax, VA providing C4ISR solutions to a wide range of customers...
, Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation
Harris Corporation is a Florida-based international communications equipment company that produces wireless equipment, electronic systems, and both terrestrial and spaceborne antennas for use in the government, defense, and commercial sectors. It is also the largest private-sector employer in...
, and L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. is a company that supplies command and control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and products, avionics, ocean products, training devices and services, instrumentation, space, and navigation products. Its customers include...
. Most Lockheed Martin and Army personnel were reassigned to other projects.
On November 2, 2006 the US Army revealed it has plans to revive the ACS program in 2009, and conducted an Industry Day in mid-October. The Army continues to envision the ACS program as capable of meeting US Navy ISR needs for a replacement of the EP-3E Aries II
EP-3E Aries II
|-See also:-References:* Winchester, Jim, ed. Military Aircraft of the Cold War . London: Grange Books plc, 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-3.-External links:* and * *...
.
Boeing is pitching a modified version of the P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
P-8 Multimission Maritime Aircraft
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a military aircraft currently being developed for the United States Navy . The P-8 is being developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800...
to fill the ACS role.
The ACS project has since been superseded by EMARSS
EMARSS
The Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System, or EMARSS, is an American reconnaisance aircraft project that grew out of the failed Aerial Common Sensor project....
, based on a smaller aircraft.
External links
- "Aerial Common Sensor (ACS)," GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
.