Boeing has been awarded a $1.2 billion contract to produce 10 P-8A Poseidon aircraft – seven for the U.S. Navy and three for the U.K. – a U.S. Department of Defense press release said.
“The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is being awarded a $1,232,654,575 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-14-C-0067) for the manufacture and delivery of 10 Lot 9 full-rate production P-8A aircraft, seven for the Navy and three for the government of the United Kingdom,” the release said on Thursday, December 21.
The U.S. Navy element of the award is $858,242,867 and the U.K. is spending $374,411,708, or 30.3 percent.
Developed for the U.S. Navy, the P-8 Poseidon is a modified Boeing 737-800ERX designed to conduct anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and shipping interdiction, as well as providing early warning protection.It can carry torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons and can drop and monitor sonobuoys.
The P-8 Poseidon is designed to operate alongside the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance drone.
It is operated by the U.S. Navy, the Indian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force, and has been ordered for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.