I saw this in Aviation Week and thought it might be of interest to the guys here. The Japanese are not waiting for the MMA to roll out and may be going with their P-X, basically a P-3 with swept wings and jet engines. An interesting avenue to pursue for them, though it sounds a bit like a make work program for the Japanese aerospace industry.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/japans-px-maritime-patrol-aircraft-0499/
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=2816068&C=airwar

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/japans-px-maritime-patrol-aircraft-0499/
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=2816068&C=airwar