Australia starts upgrade programme for P-8A Poseidon fleet
The 13th Poseidon P-8A aircraft arriving at the RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia (Photo: Royal Australian Air Force)
The upgrades will work to strengthen the country’s maritime surveillance and anti-submarine capabilities, with one more aircraft due to be delivered by 2026.
Boeing has said that it has inducted the first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Poseidon P-8A aircraft into its upgrade programme, as the air force also received its 13th aircraft on 29 September.
The first two RAAF aircraft will be upgraded at the company’s Jacksonville maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. The remaining aircraft will be modified by Boeing Defence Australia at its facility near RAAF Base Edinburgh.
Australia is the first customer to undergo Increment 3 modifications for its P-8A aircraft, which will deliver “next-generation detection and targeting” according to Boeing.
Under the four-year modifications, the RAAF’s P-8As
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