Teamwork won the day

When the U.S. Navy announced in June that Boeing had won the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft competition, it was a victory for all of Boeing—one that vividly underscores the value of diverse teams and individuals working together to develop the best possible solution for the customer.

Under the MMA contract, Boeing will supply the U.S. Navy with the next generation of submarine-hunting planes. A Boeing 737-800 aircraft (modified with -900 wings) will serve as the platform to replace the Navy’s current anti-submarine patrol aircraft, the Lockheed Martin P-3 Orion. The initial contract is for system design and development, during which Boeing will produce five aircraft—three for static and loads testing and two for flight testing.

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One airplane to rule them all

One size fits all could be an apt description for the Next-Generation 737. As history’s best-selling jet airplane, the 737 is proving to be remarkably versatile, achieving success in military, commercial, private and business sectors. The most recent example is the contract win to become the U.S. Navy’s next generation multi-mission maritime airplane.

The Next-Generation 737’s diversification began in 1996 with the Boeing Business Jet, a high-performance derivative of the 737-700. Designed for corporate and VIP use, the BBJ can fly twice as far as its sister models, more than 6,000 nautical miles nonstop. That allows it to fly routes such as Los Angeles to London or Paris, or from New York to Buenos Aires nonstop.

The MMA program ultimately could be worth about $44 billion if the Navy proceeds with its plan to buy 108 aircraft. Boeing will employ 1,600 people to design and build the MMA, which will have a crew of nine and a weapons bay that can deploy antisubmarine torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles and underwater mines.

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