P-8 Poseidon MMA: Long-Range Maritime Patrol, and More
Sep 29, 2023 04:56 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
Latest update [?]
P-8A Poseidon: cutaway
September 29/23: Software American Systems won a $19 million modification, which exercises options and adds scope to provide developmental testing, integration, delivery, and installation of the P -8A Increment 3 Block 2 mission software into existing P-8A training systems, to include Weapons Tactics Trainers, the new Combat Systems Part Task Trainer, and the New Combat System Electronic Classroom to support P-8A aircrew training and readiness for the Navy. This contract is in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III topic, “N00-123 Automated Readiness Measurement System (ARMS)”. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (85%); Jacksonville, Florida (10%); and St. Louis, Missouri (5%), and is expected to be completed in October 2026.
The above update is a recent abstract from our full article, itself part of our subscription offering. Keep reading to know more.
P-8A Poseidon
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Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the competition to commercial designs led to the P-7’s cancellation for default in 1990. The successor MMA program was begun in March 2000, and Boeing beat Lockheed’s “Orion 21” with a P-8 design based on their ubiquitous 737 passenger jet. US Navy squadrons finally began taking P-8A Poseidon deliveries in 2012, but the long delays haven’t done their existing P-3 fleet any favors.
Filling the P-3 Orion’s shoes is no easy task. What missions will the new P-8A Poseidon face? What do we know about the platform, the project team, and ongoing developments? Will the P-3’s wide global adoption give its successor a comparable level of export opportunities? Australia and India have already signed on, but has the larger market shifted in the interim?