Boeing has received a $1.7-billion contract to produce and modify P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft for the US Navy.
With an initial order worth $695.8 million, the deal covers the assembly of seven more P-8As for the service and non-recurring engineering works for Poseidon aircraft sold to Germany and Canada through a foreign military sale in March.
Tasks for the effort will be facilitated in Washington, California, and other parts of the US.
Boeing is scheduled to complete the project by September 2030.
The contract follows an October agreement signed by defense industry partner L3Harris Technologies for the sustainment of the 135 existing P-8A platforms under the US Navy.
A separate $2.38-billion deal was then signed with Boeing one month later for the construction of 15 additional KC-46A Pegasus tankers for the US Air Force.
Boeing’s Poseidon System
The P-8A Poseidon is a 130-foot (40-meter) aircraft with a wingspan of 124 feet (38 meters).
It is powered by twin CFM turbofan engines for a range of 4,500 nautical miles (5,179 miles/8,334 kilometers), an operational altitude of 41,000 feet (12,497 meters), and a top speed of 490 knots (564 miles/907 kilometers per hour).
The plane can be armed with anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles, lightweight torpedoes, depth charges, and naval mines.
Its mission capabilities combine a specialized surface search radar and airborne sensor developed by Raytheon as well as an electronic countermeasure system by Northrop Grumman.
Poseidon first entered the US Navy in 2013 to replace the force’s aging Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime surveillance and anti-submarine fleet.
Throughout its production, the Poseidon was further developed to offer three more variants for allies, including the UK Royal Air Force.
