Boeing to Produce P-8A Poseidon Aircraft Under $1.5B Navy Contract

Boeing has been awarded a $1.5B contract with the U.S. Navy for the production of 18 identical P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Boeing will manufacture eight aircraft for the Navy, six aircraft for the Republic of Korea Navy and four for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Shipments of the aircraft to the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the Republic of Korea Navy is expected to begin in 2022 and 2023, respectively, Boeing said Monday.

The P-8 aircraft has been deployed for broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. It is equipped with maritime weapons, a modem open mission system architecture and an in-flight refueling system.

Equipped with two weapons stations on each wing and an in-flight refueling system, the P-8 can carry 129 sonobuoys. 

P-8A Poseidon and P-8I variants have logged more than 254,000 flight hours conducting anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; humanitarian; and search and rescue missions.