Article Posted on : - Nov 10, 2011

Four P-8 aircraft are lined up in Boeing's mission system and checkout facility in Seattle, Washington. Photo: Boeing.

SEATTLE (BNS): Boeing has received a $1.7 billion low-rate initial production (LRIP) award from the US Navy for seven additional P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft, the company announced Wednesday.

LRIP-II is the follow-on to an initial LRIP-I contract awarded in January to provide six Poseidon aircraft. Overall, the Navy plans to purchase 117 Boeing 737-based P-8A anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to replace its P-3 fleet.

As part of the contract, Boeing will provide aircrew and maintenance training for the Navy beginning in 2012, in addition to logistics support, spares, support equipment and tools. The training system will include a full-motion, full-visual Operational Flight Trainer that simulates the flight crew stations, and a Weapons Tactics Trainer for the mission crew stations.

"We've assembled and flown the first LRIP plane and continue to focus on building P-8A aircraft on cost and on schedule. LRIP-II brings the P-8A programme one step closer to delivering the Poseidon to the fleet," Capt. Scott Dillon, P-8A deputy programme manager for the US Navy said.

Boeing had completed a successful first flight of LRIP-I aircraft at its Renton, Washington on July 7, 2011.