Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has signed a $60 million P-8A Poseidon aircraft deeper maintenance contract with the Australian government.
The maintenance work, covering the fleet’s lifetime, will include “major maintenance, repair, and overhaul work and spiral upgrades, including evolving its digital sustainment capability” of the Royal Australian Air Force’s Poseidon aircraft fleet.
The first aircraft will undergo maintenance in July 2022, six years after its induction. The air force has 12 Poseidons, with two more expected to join.
Boost to Local Industrial Ecosystem
The agreement is expected to generate additional local jobs and “provide exceptional ongoing opportunities for our local supply chain and upskilling of the broader defence and aerospace industry,” BDA director of Commercial Derivative Aircraft Darryn Fletcher said.
The agreement forms part of the Australian government’s Industry Plan for Aerospace Platform Deeper Maintenance and Structural Integrity, which seeks to build sovereign sustainment capability.
Features
The P-8A is a maritime surveillance and attack aircraft based on the Boeing B-737-800 airliner body.
The aircraft is equipped with advanced sensors and mission systems, including multi-role radar and high-definition cameras. Its acoustic system has four times the processing capacity of the AP-3C Orion, which the Poseidon is meant to replace in the Australian Air Force.
The 39.5-meter (130-feet) long aircraft has a wingspan of 37.6 meters (123 feet) and a range of 7,500 kilometers (4,660 miles). Its maximum speed is 907 km/h (563 m/h), and the aircraft’s 34-ton fuel capacity allows it to carry out anti-submarine warfare within a radius of 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) of its base.
The aircraft’s bomb bay carries torpedoes such as the Mark 54. It uses the High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability Air Launch Accessory to turn the Mark 54 into a glide bomb and launch from a height of 30,000 feet (9,100 meters).
