Boeing wins $1.6 billion contract for 11 new P-8A aircraft

By Jordan Wolman / April 1, 2021 at 10:25 AM

The Navy announced this week Boeing will build 11 new P-8A Poseidon aircraft, despite previous efforts to cut the program.

The company won a $1.6 billion contract to build 11 P-8A Lot 12 aircraft -- nine for the Navy and two for Australia. The work is expected to be completed by September 2024.

According to Boeing's press release, this latest announcement will bring the Navy's total number of P-8A aircraft to 128 and Australia's to 14.

The P-8A is a long-range maritime patrol aircraft. Boeing said in its press release the aircraft is militarized with maritime weapons and a modern open mission system architecture. The P-8A Poseidon is the Navy's variant of the P-8.

According to the Navy's fiscal year 2021 budget justification documents, the service planned to make fiscal year 2020 the last year for purchasing P-8s. Congress did, however, budget for a program increase of nine P-8A aircraft in the final FY-21 appropriations bill.

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