Two members of the P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft Program team were honored Sept. 21 for their exceptional performance in engineering.
Lt. Cmdr. Scott Ledig was named NAVAIR’s Avionics Architecture and Systems Engineering Division (AIR-4.5.1) Military Engineer of the Year for fiscal 2005. Ledig is the avionics system project officer for the P-8A Mission Systems Integrated Product Team (IPT).
“It was an honor to even be considered for this award,” Ledig said. “It has been a tremendous experience to work with the exceptional engineering team that the competencies and PMA-290 have assembled for the P-8A program.”
Ledig was recognized for his superior coordination efforts with the P-8A Fleet Introduction Team, as well as his support of P-8A international negotiations with Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. He also successfully led the development and presentation of the P-8A functional baseline in support of the Systems Functional Review. In addition, Ledig participated in the P-8A Aircrew Systems Advisory Panel, and supported the P-8A Weapons Integration IPT.
“Through direct leadership, Scott has created a more focused and disciplined systems integration team that is operating in a more effective manner as we migrate from System Functional Review toward Preliminary Design Review,” said Cmdr. Mike Moran, P-8A IPT lead.
Mike Van Wie, P-8A software engineering manager and mission computing and display subsystem lead, was named the AIR-4.5.1 Civilian Engineer of the Year for fiscal 2005.
“This was a great surprise,” Van Wie said. “I work with a wonderful team of professionals and I’m pleased that our hard work has been recognized. This is as much of a team award as an individual award”
Van Wie is responsible for acquiring nearly $1 billion worth of embedded software. He manages a team that participates in the contractor-led IPT and performs independent analyses of product and process development. Van Wie is a co-chair of the P-8A Software Council, and manages all software-related risk mitigation activities.
“Mike is the driver behind process measurement and improvement of software development for the P-8A program,” Moran said. “We are very appreciative of his dedication to successfully deliver a quality product, and his encouragement of the team to consistently perform at a higher level.”
The P-8A MMA is the Navy’s replacement for its fleet of aging P-3C Orions, securing the Navy’s future in long-range maritime patrol. P-8A, currently in its System Development and Demonstration phase, will use state-of-the-art simulation and training systems and implement innovative performance based logistics concepts. The platform will provide more combat capability with a smaller force and less infrastructure than the venerable P-3C. Successful execution of SDD is critical toward getting the first operational aircraft squadron forward deployed in 2013. Full operational capability is slated for 2019.
The P-8A program continues on schedule and on budget. It successfully completed its Systems Requirements Review in September 2004, Integrated Baseline Review in February 2005, and Systems Functional Review in April 2005. The Preliminary Design Review is set for the end of October.