Mission

The P-8A Poseidon is being designed to replace the P-3C Orion as a long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.

Description

The P-8A Poseidon is designed to secure the Navy’s future in long-range maritime patrol capability, while transforming how the Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance force will man, train, operate and deploy. The P-8A will provide more combat capability from a smaller force and less infrastructure while focusing on worldwide responsiveness and interoperability with traditional manned forces and evolving unmanned sensors.

P-8A Poseidon will leverage the experience and technology of the P-3C’s capabilities and assets to meet the Navy’s needs of developing and fielding a maritime aircraft equipped with significant growth potential, including an extended global reach, greater payload capacity, higher operating altitude, and the open systems architecture.

Specifications

Primary Function:  Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-surface Warfare (ASuW), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)
Contractor:  Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS)
Propulsion:  2 CFM 56-7B engines with 27,300 lbs thrust each
Length:  129.5 feet (39.47 meters)
Height: 42.1 feet (12.83 meters)
Wingspan:  123.6 feet (37.64 meters)
Maximum Gross Takeoff:  189,200 pounds (85,820 kilograms)
Airspeed:  490 knots (564 mph) true air speed
Ceiling:  41,000 feet (12,496 meters)
Range:  1,200 nautical miles radius with four hours on station
Crew:  Nine
Armament:  Torpedoes, cruise missiles, bombs, mines

Program Status

ACAT:  I D
Acquisition Phase: Full Rate Production (FRP)
Inventory:  13
Projected Inventory: 117
Initial Operational Capabilities (IOC) date:  November 2013
Projected Full Operational Capabilities (FOC) date: 2018

--This page was updated on February 2014--