By Franz-Stefan Gady
The contract covers 16 new aircraft for the U.S. Navy and four aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force.
The United States Navy has awarded Boeing with a $2.5 billion contract for the construction of 20 new P-8A Poseidon Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, according to a U.S. Department of Defense press release.
“This contract combines purchase for the Navy ($2,052,571,034; 83 percent); and the Government of Australia ($417,011,961; 17 percent), under a cooperative agreement,” the press release notes.
“We continue to hear feedback from our Navy customer about the incredible capabilities of the P-8A,” said James Dodd, Boeing vice president and program manager of P-8 Programs in a Boeing press release. “The deployed squadrons tell us it’s exceeding expectations – we’re looking forward to providing even more capability to the fleet and to Australia.”
The P-8A, designed and built by Boeing to replace the U.S. Navy’s aging P-3 fleet, is a military modification of Boeing’s Next-Generation 737-800 commercial airplane featuring advanced anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
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