Boeing awarded contract to produce P-8A Poseidon for Canada and Germany

Boeing has received a $3.4-billion contract to manufacture 17 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft for Canada and Germany.

According to a US Department of Defense announcement, 14 Poseidons will be delivered to Ottawa by March 2028 to replace its aging fleet of CP-140 Auroras.

The remaining three aircraft are bound for Berlin, which made an initial order of five P-8As in 2021 and is scheduled to receive them in 2025.

Boeing vice president Philip June said the company is proud to have been awarded the contract and to add the two countries to the growing list of P-8A operators worldwide.

“The Poseidon is a proven aircraft, with more than 600,000 flight hours, that will serve Canada and Germany well in today’s challenging security environment and for decades to come,” he stated.

For this contract, Boeing said it will partner with Canadian and German defense firms to deliver an aircraft that meets the requirements of their respective naval forces.

In Ottawa, the American firm will collaborate with CAE, Honeywell Aerospace Canada, Raytheon Canada, and several others to support more than 14,000 Canadian jobs.

Two German firms will also be tapped to deliver systems integration, training, and support and sustainment work for the future P-8A Poseidons of the German Navy.

“Our global customers require proven advanced capabilities to protect their countries,” Boeing official Vince Logsdon said.

“Together with our partners, we look forward to delivering this unmatched capability in addition to significant industrial benefits for Canada’s and Germany’s aerospace and defense industries.”

A militarized version of the Boeing 737 commercial aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon was developed to replace the US Navy’s P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.

It has an active and passive acoustic sensor system, synthetic aperture radar, electronic support measures system, and an electro-optical/infrared sensor for tracking enemy aircraft or missiles.

It can support various military missions, including long-range maritime and littoral patrols, search and rescue, and anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

Apart from the US, the air forces of Australia, the UK, Norway, and New Zealand operate the Poseidon.

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