U.S. Navy Plans Purchasing Boeing's P-8A In Large Numbers

Boeing handed over the seventh production P-8A Poseidon to the U.S. Navy on schedule 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, Fla., 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.

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 around 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.