Boeing last month delivered the eighth P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft completing all planned deliveries to the U.S. Navy for the yea...
That airplane, the 21st overall for the program, flew from Seattle to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida on Jan. 8. It joined other P-8As being used to train Navy crews.
The ‘Mad Foxes’ of Patrol Squadron (VP) 5 are conducting operational missions during the second overseas deployment of a P-8A Poseidon squadron. Last summer the VP-16 ‘War Eagles’ completed 600 sorties and 3,500 flight hours on the P-8A’s maiden deployment.
The Navy plans to purchase the versatile multi-mission aircraft to replace its P-3 Orion fleet. Boeing is currently under contract for 53 P-8As.
The P-8 is a militarized version of the commercial Next Generation Boeing 737-800 airliner with 737-900-based wings. The P-8A provides the Navy anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Boeing’s industry team includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.
The P-8 features the Raytheon APY-10 multi-mission surface search radar, five operator statiions, short bomb bay for torpedoes and other stores opens behind the wing and external hardpoints to carry Harpoon anti ship missile.
