Australia celebrates Industry first with domestic maintenance of P-8A fleet

Boeing Defence Australia will provide major maintenance, repair and overhaul work on the RAAF’s fleet of P-8A Poseidon aircraft this month as part of a $60 million contract signed in September 2021.

For the first time, the deeper maintenance work will take place at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia, instead of returning to the US.

Deeper maintenance work typically occurs after 72 months of service, when an aircraft return to the OEM’s facilities for in-depth, complex and specialised maintenance services.

The fact that the aircraft will not return to US facilities for deeper maintenance reflects confidence in the domestic Industry.

Central to the deeper maintenance programme occurring in Australia was the rapid modification of an existing hangar at RAAF Edinburgh, where the P-8A fleet is based.

Darryn Fletcher, Boeing Defence Australia director of commercial derivative aircraft explained: ‘A new purpose-built hangar will be commissioned in 2025 but, with deeper maintenance scheduled to commence this year… [modifying] a hangar on base… keeps all P-8A servicing under one roof.’

According to Shephard Defence Insight, Australia possesses 12 P-8A aircraft, out of a total of 150 aircraft in service with various air forces around the world.