Australian government has approved the acquisition of eight Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircrafts costing approximately $4 bi...
Australian government has approved the acquisition of eight Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircrafts costing approximately $4 billion, including support facilities. The acquisition will boost Australia’s ability to monitor its maritime interests and patrol over 2.5 million square kilometres of maritime zones equating nearly 4 per cent of the world’s oceans.
The first aircraft will be delivered in 2017, with all eight aircraft to be fully operational by 2021. Government has also approved option for additional four aircrafts. The P-8A aircraft will replace the Royal Australian Air Force, ageing fleet of 19 Lockheed Martin built AP-3C Orion patrol aircrafts that have served for over four decades. It can conduct search and rescue, anti-submarine and maritime strike missions using torpedoes and Harpoon missiles.
P-8A is based on the Boeing 737 commercial airliner, with substantial structural modification including a bomb bay, under wing and under fuselage hard points for weapons, as well as increased strengthening to allow for continued low level (down to 200ft) operations and 60° angle of bank turns that provides long-range maritime reconnaissance capabilities. The P-8A has 11 weapon hard points (five in the bomb bay, four under the wings and two under the fuselage) and can carry over 10,000 kg of weapons. P-8A features advanced sensors and mission systems like advanced multi-mode radar, a high definition electro-optic camera, an acoustic system, and an advanced electronic support system.
P-8A has an internal fuel capacity of almost 34 tonnes, giving an unrefuelled range of over 7500 km. The P-8A is also air-to-air refuelable from the boom of tanker aircraft such as the KC-30A, pushing its endurance out to over 20 hours. The project has industrial offsets, which Australian companies has already won approximately $8.5 million of work associated with Australia’s participation in P-8A, and will benefit over $1 billion through construction of support and maintenance facilities at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia and elsewhere.
