The U.S. Navy awardded a $2 billion contract to Boeing for continued production of the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft.
The award, which was announced yesterday, is for 13 more P-8A aircraft with 13 mission equipment sets and long-lead parts for the manufacture of 16 full-rate production Lot I aircraft, according to Defense News.
The U.S. Navy's current fleet of P-3C Orion aircraft will be replaced by a total of 117 P-8As, with about 9 P-8A aircraft have been delivered to the U.S. Navy till date, along with six test aircraft delivered to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
The program passed its Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) requirement July 1, according to NAVAIR.
As part of the test phase, a P-8A also successfully launched a Harpoon AGM-84D Block IC missile on June 24.