US Navy Orders Deployable P-8A Poseidon Trainers

Boeing has recently signed a contract to deliver first deployable P-8A Poseidon trainers, allowing aircrew and operators to improve their mission readiness even while serving away from home.

Boeing will provide seven Deployable Mission Readiness Trainers (DMRTs) to the US Navy, starting in 2019. 

“Training ensures the Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance community is proficient in anti-submarine warfare. By using these trainers, crews are trained without adding flight hours to the aircraft,” said CDR. John Thoe, P-8A training systems integrated product team lead. “DMRTs will fulfill these important requirements by providing high-fidelity, crew-based training to deployed squadrons.” 

The proposed DMRT design is portable with low-power requirements and includes Boeing’s Weapons Tactics Trainer system, which incorporates sonobuoy and ocean acoustics modeling. 

The U.S. Navy trains P-8A Poseidon aircrews at naval air stations in Jacksonville, Fla., and Whidbey Island, Wash. Seventy percent of the training for P-8A aircrews takes place in simulators and other trainers; the remaining 30 percent uses the actual aircraft. 

Boeing is also under contract to deliver a complete P-8A training system to the Royal Australian Air Force, beginning in 2018.