Boeing set to underscore benefits of P-8A Poseidon

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Representatives from Boeing will be making their way to Airborne ISR & C2 Battle Management conference in London, UK, to highlight the value of the company’s new maritime ISR aircraft currently seeing delivery in the US and India.

Among other leading defence firms operating in this domain – including Northrop Grumman, IAI/Elta, Saab, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Raytheon, Vislink, Gulfstream and ARINC – Boeing will be taking to the podium to present the success to date of the platform now gradually taking the place of the P-3 Orion and potentially other platforms in use across international militaries.

Vice Admiral Robert Thomas, commander of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, declared this month that the P-8A "represents a significant improvement" over the P-3, "providing the opportunity to detect, track and report on more targets than ever before."

The US Navy declared in November that the aircraft "more than meets fleet commanders’ expectations" for combat deployment, having seen 13 of the aircraft delivered of a planned 113, while US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced his support of the deployment of the P-8A around the waters of Japan as territorial disputes continue to threaten security within the Asia-Pacific region.

The conference, scheduled for February 25-27, will also provide scope for discussion surrounding maritime patrol aircraft, early warning aircraft and many other airborne battlefield intelligence assets.

P-8A

The P-8 is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. A derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the P-8 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.

The P-8A is being developed for the U.S. Navy by a Boeing-led industry team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation, BAE Systems and Spirit AeroSystems. Boeing is using a first-in-industry production process and its existing Next-Generation 737 production system to efficiently design and build P-8 aircraft. The U.S. Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft. P-8A initial operational capability was declared in November 2013 and the first aircraft were deployed to Kadena, Japan.

Boeing signed a contract with the government of India in 2009 to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. The P-8I is a derivative of the P-8A designed specifically for the Indian navy. Boeing delivered the first three P-8I aircraft in 2013.

Australia signed a P-8 MOU with the U.S. Navy in 2009 and will collaborate in Increment 2. In March 2012, a production, sustainment and follow-on development MOU was signed.

AEW&C

The Boeing 737 AEW&C is the world’s most capable Air Battle Management and Survivable Command and Control weapon system. Operationally proven and built on the legacy and 40 years of E-3 AWACS experience, this modern system is designed with the warfighter in mind. Features include: 10 hour mission duration (20 hours with Air Refueling), a fully integrated mission system, Electronic Support Measures, Electronic Warfare Self Protection and a flexible mission crew size of 5-10 depending on the mission to be flown.

The MESA radar simultaneously operates in air-, maritime-, and IFF modes with 360 degree coverage. Hosted on the world’s most popular commercial airliner, the 737 AEW&C boasts jet speed, range, altitude, and crew comfort, a 99.6% operational reliability rate and world wide support.

10 AEW&C aircraft are operated by Australia and South Korea. Delivery of the first AEW&C aircraft to Turkey is scheduled for 2014.

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