First Aircraft Produced Under Second Low-Rate Initial Production Contract

The seventh production P-8A Poseidon was handed over to the U.S. Navy by Boeing on March 29,marking the first delivery from the second low-rate initial production contract awarded in November 2011. The maritime patrol aircraft departed Boeing Field in Seattle for Naval Air Station Jacksonville, FL, where it joined six P-8As currently being used to train Navy crews.

"This is our second P-8A delivery of 2013, and we'll continue to provide the Navy with new Poseidon aircraft at a rate of nearly one a month," said Rick Heerdt, Boeing vice president and P-8 program manager. "We've got a full factory of P-8As for the U.S. Navy and P-8I aircraft for India, and we're working side-by-side with both customers to introduce the aircraft's advanced capabilities into their fleets."

Boeing is on contract to build and support 24 P-8A aircraft as part of three LRIP contracts awarded in 2011 and 2012. The Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, which are based on the Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 platform. The versatile multi-mission aircraft provides broad long-range maritime patrol capabilities -- anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance -- and will replace the Navy P-3 fleet.

(Image provided by Boeing)

FMI: www.boeing.com, www.navy.mil