Navy orders seven more Renton-built Poseidon’s worth $1.7 billion

Boeing has received an $1.7 billion award from the U.S. Navy for seven additional P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.

November 9, 2011 1:52 pm
Four P-8 aircraft are lined up in Boeing's mission system and checkout facility in Seattle.
Four P-8 aircraft are lined up in Boeing's mission system and checkout facility in Seattle.

 

Boeing has received an $1.7 billion award from the U.S. Navy for seven additional P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.

This low-rate initial production award follows the initial award in January for six Poseidon aircraft.The Navy plans to purchase 117 Boeing 737-based P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet, according to a Boeing news release.

Boeing completed assembly of the first Poseidon this summer at the 737 production plant in Renton. The Poseidon flew from Renton Municipal Airport to Boeing Field on July 2, which marked its transition from fabrication and assembly to mission system installation and checkout in Seattle.

As part of the contract, Boeing will provide aircrew and maintenance training for the Navy beginning in 2012, in addition to logistics support, spares, support equipment and tools. The training system will include a full-motion, full-visual Operational Flight Trainer that simulates the flight crew stations, and a Weapons Tactics Trainer for the mission crew stations.

“This contract is the result of the Boeing and Navy team’s hard work and commitment, and moves us a step closer to P-8A full-rate production,” said Chuck Dabundo, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager, said in the news release. “We’ve assembled and flown the first LRIP plane and continue to focus on building P-8A aircraft on cost and on schedule.”

“LRIP-II brings the P-8A program one step closer to delivering the Poseidon to the fleet,” said Capt. Scott Dillon, P-8A deputy program manager for the Navy.

The Poseidon team is using a first-in-industry in-line production process that draws on Boeing’s Next-Generation 737 production system. All P-8A-unique aircraft modifications are made in sequence during fabrication and assembly, according to Boeing.

A derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the Poseidon is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.