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June 25, 2000
   
The US Navy is studying ways to replace its P-3 Orion anti-submarine patrol planes with a new Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft or MMA. The problem is that with the F-18E and JSF programs, the Navy has no money to buy another new aircraft, and may be forced to remanufacture the existing P-3s, some of which are older than the crews flying them. The Navy regards this as a waste of money that could better be spent on a new MMA, but cannot explain (as it spends $1.7 million on study contracts) just how it is going to afford a new airframe.--Stephen V Cole