Latest P-8A Poseidon order includes FMS customers
Boeing announced on 30 March that it has received a $1.5 billion contract for a total of 18 new P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the USN.
This includes eight for the USN themselves, but under the FMS process six will be delivered to the ROKN (South Korea) and four to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
South Korea expects to receive its first aircraft in 2023 whilst New Zealand is expecting initial deliveries in 2022.
The aircraft are designed for performing ASuW, ISR, humanitarian and SAR operations. To date, the P-8A has completed more than 254,000 flight hours.
The aircraft is the military derivative of Boeing’s 737 Next-Generation platform.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Saab shows uncrewed concept and accelerates programme with first flight due in 2027
Saab expects to fly two collaborative combat aircraft demonstrators, A1 and A2, before the end of the decade, but has stressed that the A3-001 mock-up unveiled on 21 August is only a concept for what could follow in the 2030s.
-
GKN Aerospace begins engine tests for drone design as part of contract signed in November
A mock-up displayed by GKN Aerospace on 21 August is planned to have a maximum range between 600km and more than 1,000 km with a payload capacity of 100-300kg.
-
AI-controlled F-16s advance towards autonomous multi-aircraft operations in US
The US plans to progressively expand VENOM/AIR testing from single-aircraft flights to multi-platform autonomous operations over the next 12–24 months, generating data that could support future US military AI programmes, including Collaborative Combat Aircraft.