L3: Our reputation on the line if EC-X goes wrong

The head of L3 said that if they get the Compass Call cross deck wrong, it will seriously damage their reputation. L3 has been given unprecedented power to choose the airframe for the new Compass Call aircraft, that will replace the EC-130H aircraft the Air Force uses now. After doing market research, which they are unable to go into, they chose the Gulfstream G550 airframe.

According to Michael Strianese, either Boeing or General Dynamics is going to be mad at them, depending on which aircraft was picked, and if they pick the wrong aircraft it will be late and over budget, which will result in the Air Force being upset. So this has to go well. This could potentially also lead to future programs following similar routes.

WASHINGTON — L3 Technologies has been given an unprecedented power to choose the U.S. Air Force’s next Compass Call airframe, in this case the Gulfstream G550. And if it turns out to have made the wrong choice, the company’s reputation will be on the line, the company’s top executive said Wednesday.

For the Compass Call crossdeck program, now termed EC-X, the Air Force decided on an unorthodox acquisition strategy: Hire a systems integrator to move the electronics off the existing EC-130H aircraft and into new airframes, which will be selected by that contractor instead of the service.

After multiple bid protests and accusations over a possible conflict of interest, the Air Force in September awarded L3 a contract for the Compass Call crossdeck program. And, as expected, L3 chose Gulfstream’s G550.

Michael Strianese, chairman and CEO of L3 Technologies, said the company has endeavored to be an “honest broker” during its dealings with Gulfstream and Boeing, which put forward the Boeing 737 as an alternative to the G550 offered by General Dynamics subsidiary Gulfstream.

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a reply to: Zaphod58

how can anyone be an honest broker if they have a past history with any of the parties involved.

im not saying get a complete novice but not someone steeped in past purchases or ties to the contractors involved

a reply to: penroc3

The ultimate decision was by the Air Force though. After going through all the data from L3, the Air Force approved the selection. You can't not have a company with ties to other companies. Not if you want someone that knows what they're doing, or to have a hope in hell in coming in on time and budget. As it is now, L3 has done the updates on the current EC-130 fleet, so they have that going for them too.

Interesting.

The Boeing 737 and Gulfstream G550 are very different aircraft.

To me, it seems to be an easy choice to make for this mission.

Both are very different from the EC-130H.

The Gulfstream is smaller with a greater range and one would expect, cheaper to run.

P

a reply to: pheonix358

It also depends on the mission equipment, altitude requirements, and a lot of factors. Sometimes, the slightly larger aircraft is the better fit.