Boeing Wins $2.46B for 19 P-8A Poseidon Aircraft

Boeing has won a $2.46 billion United States (US) Navy modification contract to supply 19 more P-8A aircraft for the US Navy and government of United Kingdom (UK) and Norway.

The contract includes supplying 10 additional aircraft for the Navy, four for the government of the UK and five for the government of Norway, the US Department of Defense said in a statement Friday.

According to the company, the P-8 aircraft is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It is capable of broad-area maritime, littoral operations, humanitarian and search and rescue missions, etc.

The P-8 also conducts shipping interdiction and early warning self-protection (EWSP) ability which involves carrying torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons. It is able to drop and monitor sonobuoys. It is designed to operate in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle.

Work is expected to be completed by March 2022.