Leeham News and Analysis
There's more to real news than a news release.
Leeham News and Analysis
- Boeing defends 787, 777 against whistleblower charges April 17, 2024
- Dissecting Boeing CEO’s statement next new airplane will cost $50bn April 15, 2024
- Bjorn’s Corner: New engine development. Part 3. Propulsive efficiency April 12, 2024
- A350-1000 or 777-9? Part 2 April 11, 2024
- Pontifications: Boeing “transparency”–not so much. April 9, 2024
Boeing’s P8 hits six years in service
The object below the APU outlet is one of many sensors on the Boeing P8-A Poseidon. Source: Scott Hamilton
July 18, 2018 © Leeham News, Farnborough: Boeing’s P8-A Poseidon, the 737-based
airplane best known for anti-submarine patrols, entered service with the US Navy six years ago.
Since then, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Norway are among the countries ordering the airplane and the first Navy P8 entered heavy maintenance here.
Boeing produces the P8 at a 1.5/mo rate, which is full rate.
The Navy ordered 117 P8s, but there is potential to order more.
Three-quarters of the Navy’s 12 wings have replaced the old prop-jet, Lockheed P-3 Orion by the P8.
Capt. Tony Rossi of the Navy’s procurement department told a group of international media that the P8 also performs humanitarian purposes and Search and Rescue operations.
This has really been a “home run” for Boeing. I’m pretty sure it’s been pretty much on budget and on time. The U.S. may be good for another 50 or so. Think they’ll need some EP8As, plus further squadron build out for the Pacific. Then, they’ve got to be salivating over potential further export sales. India: another 8; Singapore: 4 to 6; Brazil: 4 to 6; Saudi Arabia: 4 to 6; Germany: 4; UAE: 4; Kuwait: 4; Oman: 2; Thailand: 2; Chile: 2; Argentina:2; South Africa:2; and Denmark:2. Question is what’ll the P8B be, and when?
Canada?Boeing really messed up with the C series fiasco. It will be interesting to see what happens with the UKs Awacs.I think Wedgetail is a done deal ,but a group of MPs has made it known that they haven’t forgotten.
Militaries and politicians tend to have short memories when it comes to purchasing platforms. The p8 has only one serious competitor the Kawasaki P-1 which is very close it seems in capability to the P8 but… the P-1 is not a conversion while the P-8 has access to 737 parts all over the world.
I think Canada and Boeing will kiss and make up sooner rather than later.
Maybe after Agent Orange is gone.
Canada: Didn’t list, but presumably 4 minimum. That’s a huge, upper coastline including the Northwest Passage to patro/protect, the Auroras won’t last forever, and Trudeau may be going bye-bye, given Ford II election, and western provinces outlook. Heck, BC may not vote for him on the other side, given pipeline position.
It’s too bad the tanker troubles have taken away the attention this very successfully executed program deserves.
Frankly we really do not know how successful this is.
It was launched with a minimum mission capability and it has been adding on (designed to)
One key area we will not know unless we have a hot issue, is can it really hunt subs?
Its really been turned into a multi mission Swiss army knife can do anything aircraft.
The hyphen on military aircraft is usually between the letter and the number: it is P-8A, not P8-A.
Ahh well, I was always lousy at punctuation myself.
I had a guy chew me out for calling a BMW 30s era a K-31 or some such when it was K31.
Airbus calls Winglets Shakrlets and that is about as dumb a thing as I ever heard of (anyone know of a shark that has wings let alone two parallel vertical fin thingies?