P-8A Deal

The P-8A Poseidon program awarded its first low-rate initial production contract to manufacturer Boeing late Friday.

The contract, valued at $1.53 billion, covers the purchase of six P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft and “associated spares, support equipment and tools, logistics support, trainers and courseware,” according to a Jan. 21 Defense Department contract announcement. Work should be complete in January 2013.

P-8 program manager Capt. Mike Moran told Inside the Navy last week that the program is already hard at work on the second LRIP contract, which Boeing should receive in the summer for seven aircraft.

However, if the Pentagon has to run on a continuing resolution for the rest of the year, the program will only be able to buy six aircraft. The program is studying whether that would jeopardize the 2013 in-service date of the aircraft, according to Moran.