Boeing upgrades Australian P-8A Poseidon MPAs
The Australian government committed to purchasing eight MPAs for the RAAF with an option for four more in 2014. (Photo: Boeing)
The upgrade contract could be extended beyond 2030 to cater for the additional two new P-8A Poseidons the Royal Australian Air Force was set to receive in the coming years.
Australia has awarded Boeing a US$139.5 million contract to upgrade the Royal Australian Air Force’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The P-8s will be fitted with Increment 3 Block 2 software, system and sensor upgrades to enhance its anti-submarine warfare (ASW), maritime strike and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
The Australian government committed to purchasing eight MPAs for the RAAF with an option for four more in 2014. Two years later, the DoD announced that the P-8 Poseidon successfully completed its first flight.
Boeing noted that the first two aircraft to undergo the Increment 3 modification would be upgraded in Jacksonville, Florida, with the remainder of the fleet of 12 to be completed by Boeing Defence Australia at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.
Two new P-8As ordered in 2020 were set to be delivered to the RAAF this year and in 2025, with a provision for the upgrade contract to be extended beyond its 2030 end date to accommodate these two aircraft.
Last month, Boeing announced it had received a $3.4 billion contract to begin manufacturing 14 P-8As for the Royal Canadian Air Force and three additional MPAs for the German Navy.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
P-8 Poseidon (13-14) [Australia]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement]()
Spain air focus: Mature UAV market rewards early supplier engagement
Spain accounts for 5% of European military UAV spending, broadly in line with its share of the continent’s wider defence market. What sets the country apart, however, is how much of that spending has already been committed, reflecting Spain's earlier adoption of the capability.
-
![New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition]()
New US Army UH-60M Black Hawk order bridges uncertain path to MV-75 transition
The US$234 million award for 16 Sikorsky UH-60Ms preserves near-term production, but funding uncertainty and an undefinitised contract leave the US Army’s long-term Black Hawk requirements unresolved.
-
![Rafale AI trials highlight shift towards operational fighter testbeds]()
Rafale AI trials highlight shift towards operational fighter testbeds
Dassault’s latest Rafale trials join Gripen E and F-16 testing as developers explore how artificial intelligence could support and control combat aircraft.
-
![V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal]()
V-22 Osprey safety upgrade moves towards wider fleet installation under $35.5 million deal
Bell Boeing will supply 73 additional ODSSHI kits as NAVAIR prepares to introduce predictive drive-system monitoring across US and Japanese V-22 fleets.
-
![AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics]()
AFA 2026: US Air Force examines uncrewed cargo aircraft for contested logistics
The US Air Force is evaluating demonstrators for uncrewed cargo missions as it considers logistics requirements across the Pacific and other contested environments.
