Looking to reactivate its fleet of Lockheed Martin P-3B Orion maritime patrol aircraft, Greece has selected the Maritime Mission Integration and Management System (M2IMS) from Interoperability Systems International (ISI) as the aircraft's new tactical mission system, it has emerged.
In October 2014, the US State Department approved a possible FMS with Greece that would involve the modification and reactivation of two P-3Bs and the upgrade of up to five Orion aircraft. Estimated at 500 million USD, the overhaul and upgrade will include structural mid life upgrades (MLU), phased depot maintenance and new flight avionics under a programme that will be led by the aircraft's OEM. During overhaul the aircraft will receive new wings with the MLU kits providing a service life extension for 15,000 flight hours.
Specialized in developing tactical datalink solutions, ISI has in the past provided the mission management systems for the maritime surveillance configured Fokker 50 aircraft of the Republic of Singapore Air Force. A modular and sensor agnostic system, ISI's latest M2IMS solution will integrate and manage the new sensor suite that will equip the Greek navy's P-3B aircraft when upgraded. This includes a new radar that will be installed, the aircraft's EO/IR sensor together with ESM, AIS and ASW equipment such as a MAD and acoustic sensors. Weapon interfaces, datalinks and navigation systems will also be integrated into the aircraft's new tactical mission system. The M2IMS equipped aircraft will have the ability to interface and exchange tactical information via datalinks with ground based C2 centers and other airborne or naval assets while the data recorded by the system can be used for post mission evaluation.
Pieter Bastiaans
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