P-8A Poseidon
The transition of the US Navy’s
maritime patrol eet from the P-3C
to the P-8A is nearly 75 per cent
complete, with only three
remaining Orion squadrons
scheduled for conversion.
The navy selected Boeing’s 737
multi-mission maritime aircraft
(MMA) over the Lockheed Martin
Orion 21 as its P-3C replacement
in June 2004. The P-8A is based on
the Boeing 737-800ERX Business
Jet and features the larger wing of
the 737-900ERX series. It is powered
by a pair of CFM International
CFM56-7B engines that also equip
the navy’s C-40A airlifter but are
provided with larger generators.
Its range can be extended by aerial
refueling and patrol squadron VP-30
completed its rst air-to-air refueling
(AAR) ight in August 2017.
The P-8A’s integrated sensor suite
includes the Raytheon AN/APY-10
maritime, littoral and overland
surveillance radar, the L-3 Wescam
MX-20HD EO/IR sensor, a SIGINT
system, the Northrop Grumman
AN/ALQ-240(V)1 ESM system and
Terma AN/ALQ-213(V) electronic
warfare management system.
The AN/APY-10 provides six radar
modes that include surface search,
periscope detection, color weather/
navigation, multi-target track-
while-scan (TWS), inverse synthetic
aperture (ISAR), synthetic aperture
(SAR) and maritime strike
precision targeting.
Its mission systems include three
in- ight reloadable, 10-round
rotary sonobuoy launchers and
the aircraft has the internal storage
capacity for 120 sonobuoys. The
Poseidon’s aircraft survivability
equipment (ASE) includes the AN/
AAR-54 missile warning system, AN/
ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser
system (CMDS), Northrop Grumman
AN/AAQ-24 large aircraft infra-
red countermeasures (LAIRCM)
system and the Terma AN/ALQ-213
electronic warfare management
system (EWMS).
The Poseidon provides improved
broad-area anti-submarine
warfare (ASW), anti-surface
warfare (ASUW), and intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) capability when comparedwith the P-3C. In addition to
long-range ASW and ASuW, the
missions assigned to the P-8A
include intelligence, surveillance
and reconnaissance (ISR), and the
aircraft can y broad-area, maritime
and littoral operations. Capable of
locating, tracking and attacking
surface and submarine targets,
the P-8A’s internal weapons bay’s
ve stations can each carry 1,450lb
(658kg). Four external wing and
two centerline fuselage station
pylons are each rated for 3,000lb
(1,361kg). The Poseidon may
currently carry Mk54 torpedoes
and the AGM-84D Block 1C
Harpoon anti-ship missile.
Upgrades for the eet are being
developed incrementally. Presently
being implemented, the Increment
2 upgrades provide the aircraft
with improved ASW capabilities
that comprise multi-static active
coherent (MAC) and acoustic search
capabilities that integrate modi ed
high-altitude sonobuoy sensors
to enhance the aircraft’s capability
to conduct its mission at higher
altitudes. The aircraft is gaining
automatic identi cation system
(AIS) and targeting enhancements.
Additionally, the high-altitude ASW
weapon capability (HAAWC) air
launch accessory (ALA), which will
be elded during 2020, will extend
the range of the Mk54 torpedo,
allowing it to glide to targets from
altitudes up to 30,000ft (9,144m).
Incorporation of a sixth work-
station on the Poseidon under
the Increment 2 phase began in
December. The change is being
included in all new-productionaircraft and will be retro tted to the
earlier P-8As.
Increment 2 will provide the P-8A
with the capability to carry the AN/
APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor
(AAS), which will replace the AN/
APS-149 LSRS that is carried on
specially modi ed P-3Cs. The system
was rst tested aboard the Poseidon
on May 20, 2015.
Increment 3, which is now
being integrated with the
Poseidon, provides enhanced
communications, targeting and
acoustics sub-system capability
enhancements to its anti-
submarine capabilities, improved
ASW weapons, and a computer
processing upgrade that includes
the addition of Minotaur mission
software. Scheduled to achieve IOC
in 2023, Increment 3 will further
add the network-enabled AGM-84N
Harpoon Block II+ missile, a signals
intelligence (SIGINT) capability,
advanced ASW and ISR sensors, a
precision targeting capability andthe Link 16 data link. In addition to
a GPS guidance kit, the AGM-84N
features a new data link interface
that enables in- ight updates,
improved target selectivity, an abort
option, and enhanced resistance
to electronic countermeasures.
Plans call for the integration of a
wideband satellite communications
capability beginning in 2021.
VP-16 became the rst operational
squadron to transition from the P-3C
and it achieved initial operational
capability with the Poseidon in
December 2013. Nine of the navy’s
12 patrol squadrons have converted
to the Poseidon and transitions
will be completed by 2019. There
are no present plans to replace the
reserve component’s P-3Cs with
P-8As. The navy’s program of record
includes 120 P-8As by FY 2022.
Boeing has received contracts for
98 aircraft in eight lots and is now
delivering aircraft to the US Navy
and international customers at a
rate of 18 aircraft annually.
Squadron Location Aircraft Command Tail code
VP-4 ‘Skinny Dragons’ NAS Whidbey Island, Washington P-8A CPRW-10 YD
VP-5 ‘Mad Foxes’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LA
VP-8 ‘Tigers’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LC
VP-9 ‘Golden Eagles’
(see note 1)NAS Whidbey Island,
Washington P-8A CPRW-10 PD
VP-10 ‘Red Lancers’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LD
VP-16 ‘War Eagles’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LF
VP-26 ‘Tridents’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LK
VP-30 (FRS) ‘Pro’s Nest’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRG LL
VP-45 ‘Pelicans’ NAS Jacksonville, Florida P-8A CPRW-11 LN
VP-47
‘Golden Swordsmen’NAS Whidbey Island,
Washington P-8A CPRW-10 RD
VX-1 ‘Pioneers’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland P-8A COTEF JA
VX-20 ‘Force’ NAS Patuxent River, Maryland P-8A NAWCAD
1 VP-9 began P-8A transition in November 2017.A P-8A Poseidon of VP-4 ‘Skinny Dragons’ at NAS
Whidbey Island. US Navy/MCS2C Juan S. SuaUS NAVY AIR POWER 2018^81US NAVY & MARINE CORPS AIR POWER YEARBOOK 2018
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