P-8 Poseidon ready for fleet service

The IOT&E report on the P-8A Poseidon says the aircraft is "operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction." To date six test aircraft, and nine LRIP aircraft have been delivered to the Navy, which plans to begin deployments with them towards the end of this year.

The Boeing P-8A Poseidon has been found to be "operationally effective, operationally suitable, and ready for fleet introduction", the US Navy says in a 1 July initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) report.

With the successful completion its IOT&E phase, the Pentagon is likely to approve the 737-based maritime patrol and surveillance asset for full-rate production in the near future.

"It is a great day for the navy and the fleet," says Capt Scott Dillon, the US Naval Air Systems Command's programme manager for the P-8A. "We are proud to add the P-8 to the navy's weapons inventory and the deployment cycle later this year."

www.flightglobal.com...

The first AGM-84D Block IC Harpoon anti-ship missile was successfully fired from a P-8A on June 24th. The target was a low cost modular target, off of Pt Mugu in California. The missile hit the target after being launched.

So what will the P-8's role (tactically) be in the field? is it just going to be filled with radar type instruments or cameras or what. it looks kind of uninteresting (to me the layman) like a commercial aircraft or something.

reply to post by Latrodectus


It's going to complement, and eventually replace the P-3 Orion in the antisubmarine mission. It'll be upgraded with various sensors and weapons systems as it matures.

where would the weapons systems go? is there belly doors or do they just fit to pylons on the wings? Can this thing take off form an aircraft carrier? I would think its a little big for that type of thing.

reply to post by Latrodectus


Um, here ya go. Good luck!

P-8

reply to post by Latrodectus


It's a mix. They can carry Mk-48s or depth charges in a weapons bay on the belly of the aircraft, and anti-ship missiles on the wings, like the P-3.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Do you know if any of the other P-3 variants are going to be replaced as well? I'm specifically talking about the EP-3 as they are not mentioned in the linked article. I spent 17 years in the RC-135 maintenance world and we crossed paths many times with our Navy counterparts especially in the Pacific, the Middle East, and various "flag" exercises out at Nellis. I'm curious what the plans are for that airframe.

Vince

reply to post by vinceg


The EP-3E Aries received the Spiral 3 of the JCC, which will allow them to be flying until at least 2023 or so, when it's expected a P-8 variant will be introduced to replace them (or something else).

reply to post by Zaphod58


There's been talk of using the p-8 airframe as a JSTARS but I don't know if its been mentioned since like 2010 or not.

reply to post by boomer135


I don't know if they will because of the size. It would get pretty cramped on that airframe.