L3Harris wins P-8A Poseidon support contract
The support contract for P-8As will run for the next five years. (Photo: L3Harris)
L3Harris has provided support for previous generation P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). As many P-3 Orion users retire the aircraft, they have been picking up P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which L3Harris has now been contracted to support.
L3Harris will support Boeing P-8A MPAs for almost all of this decade under a contract agreed with the US Navy for that service’s aircraft but which will also include international users of the platform.
Announcing the contract award, L3Harris said it would “perform depot maintenance, repair and overhaul support of the 135 aircraft P-8A Poseidon fleet”.
It also announced that work would begin this year at L3Harris’ aircraft modification facility in Waco, Texas, and continue through to September 2029.
The aircraft specialises in maritime patrol and reconnaissance, long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
It is in use with or ordered by eight international customers, with Australia and India both operating 12, New Zealand four, Norway five and the UK nine. South Korea has ordered six with three delivered, Canada has ordered 14 and Germany has ordered eight with both countries yet to receive aircraft.
Saudi Arabia has planned to buy as many as eight aircraft, India has been in line to potentially purchase another six aircraft and the platform has also been in the running to meet a Turkish requirement.
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