Boeing P-8A

Boeing has been awarded a $139.5 million contract to enhance the Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon with the Increment 3 Blk. 2 upgrade.

The U.S. Navy has begun modifications to its P-8 sub-hunting fleet with delivery of the first aircraft to Boeing for the Increment 3 Block 2 update.

For more information about Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s (AWIN) 2024 Military Fleet & MRO Forecast and other Aviation Week data products, please see: https://pgs.aviationweek.com/forecast

U.S. Air Force flight-related incidents increased in 2023, while Navy and Marine Corps rates stayed steady.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

The UK RAF has selected the BAE Systems Stingray lightweight torpedo to arm its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The announcement had been signaled last March when the military declared that P-8A is the only aircraft in production that meets requirements.

Germany has formally contracted for three additional Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, just days after funding was approved by the Parliament.

A U.S. Navy P-8A submarine-hunting aircraft ended up in Hawaii’s Kaneohe Bay, marking the first time the service may lose one of the Boeing 737-based jets.

Germany looks set to increase its purchase of Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The commitment to buy the fourth aircraft stops short of Australia’s original plan to buy seven MQ-4Cs, with a goal of operating two simultaneous patrols.

Lockheed Martin’s P-3 Orion maritime patroller looks set to have an extended operational life in Europe after Portugal purchased Germany’s fleet.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have seen their rates of series aircraft incidents decrease but the cost for each mishap has risen significantly.

MFTS is just one component of the UK’s flying training pipeline.

Boeing has started a series negotiations with U.S. military officials to address the “tough” problem.

Boeing currently supports several training programs in the UK.

Startup HyperKelp says it is demonstrating air-droppable buoys for the U.S. Navy that could detect the acoustic signature of boost-glide hypersonic vehicles.

The $5.9 billion package suggests that Canada has requested a P-8 capability like that already flying with the U.S. Navy and other Poseidon customer nations.

Ascent Flight Training has secured a £125 million ($156 million) contract to train rear crew for the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy.

The MAD-XR’s highly sensitive magnetometer will be installed on board the four-engine P-1s by Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Boeing and ST Engineering have agreed to explore setting up a P-8 Poseidon services and sustainment center in Singapore to support the maritime patrol aircraft.

The new partnership seeks to pressure the Canadian government to open the CP-140 fleet replacement to bids instead of a sole-source award for the P-8A.

The ex-Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) KC-135R topped-off two U.S. Navy Boeing P-8A patrol aircraft.

The UK Royal Air Force is trying out multicopter drones to support its aircraft engineering tasks.

The German Navy wants to expand its planned fleet of Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and acquire uncrewed air systems to supplement them.