The Navy has ordered 13 additional P-8A Poseidons from Boeing [BA], bringing to 37 the total number of the maritime patrol aircraft that have been contracted.
The $2 billion contract modification is for the fourth low-rate initial-production run for the P-8As and also includes funding for long-lead items, according to the Pentagon’s announcement late Wednesday.
 |
| The Navy’s P-8A. Photo by Boeing |
The Navy plans to buy 137 P-8As. The Poseidons are based on Boeing 737-800 airframe and are to replace the P-3 Orions that were built by Lockheed Martin [LMT].
So far, 10 Poseidons have been delivered. The P-8s are designed to provide anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
“This new contract award will continue to deliver aircraft to the fleet squadrons scheduled to receive their initial batch of P-8As on cost, schedule and performance parameters in accordance with the approved Acquisition Program Baseline,” Capt. Scott Dillon, the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office’s program manager, said in a statement released by Boeing.
The P-8 program completed initial operational test and evaluation in March. The Navy announced in July that the P-8A program had passed the assessment and that the planes were ready for fleet introduction.