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P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)
U.S. Navy - Boeing - Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA)
 
 
 
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.
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.

Variants:
- P-8A Poseidon: US Navy variant (122 P-8A are planned to be aquired)
- P-8I Neptune: Indian Navy variant (8 P-8I are planned to be aquired)
Technical Data
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Design
The P-8 has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900 commercial aircraft. Modifications to the baseline commercial aircraft are incorporated into the aircraft in-line. In the past, commercial aircraft were sent to modification centers where they were taken apart and rebuilt to meet military specifications. The P-8A is Boeing's first military derivative aircraft to incorporate structural modifications to the aircraft as it moves through the commercial line.
Five operator stations (two Naval Flight Officers plus three enlisted Aviation Warfare Operators/Naval Aircrewman) are mounted in a sideways row, along the port side of the cabin. One observer window is located on each side of the forward cabin.
A bomb bay for torpedoes and other stores opens behind the wing. There are 6 hardpoints under the wings for weapons. The aircraft has six additional body fuel tanks for extended range. In-flight refueling is via a receptacle on top of the forward fuselage, just aft of the cockpit.
Missions
» Theater Commanders primarily use units equipped with the P-8A to conduct Anti-Submarine Warfare. P-8A units detect, identify, track, and destroy submarine targets.
Additional P-8A maritime patrol missions include:
» Anti-Surface Warfare operations to detect, identify, track, and destroy enemy surface combatants or other shipping targets.
» Maritime and littoral ISR operations to collect and disseminate imagery and signals information for exploitation by the joint intelligence community.
» Collection and dissemination of tactical situation information to improve the fleet common operational picture.
» Identification and precise geo-location of targets ashore to support fleet strike warfare missions
Payload, Sensors, Electronics

Payload
(5 internal and 6 external) AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER cruise missiles, AGM-84D anti-ship missiles, mines, Mk54 torpedoes, High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC).
Each Poseidon can carry 120 sonobuoys (50 percent more than the P-3 it is replacing) and has a rotary launch system that uses three launchers with the capacity to hold 10 sonobuoys each and launch single and multiple shots.

Sensors:
Raytheon AN/APY-10 multi-mission surface search radar
L-3 Wescam MX-20HD EO/IR multispectral sensor turret
Advanced Airborne Sensor SIGINT package

Countermeasures:
Northrop Grumman electronic warfare self-protection suite
Terma AN/ALQ-213(V) electronic warfare management system
Northrop Grumman directional infrared countermeasures
BAE Systems countermeasures dispenser system.
Northrop Grumman radar warning system

Communications:
Link 16 & Link 11
Satcom

Powerplant
2x CFM56-7B engines, 27,000 lb thrust
 
Specifications
Type
Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)
Crew
9 (2 pilots, 7 mission specialists)
Operators
US Navy, Indian Navy
Performance
Top Speed: 490 kn (564 mi/h)
Range: 1,200 nmi with 4 hours on station
Altitude: 41,000 ft (12,496 m)
Designer
Boeing
First Flight
25 April 2009
Engines
2x CFM56-7B engines, 27,000 lb thrust
Dimensions
Length: 129.5 ft (39.47 m)
Wingspan: 123.6 ft (37.64 m)
Height: 42.1 ft (12.83 m)
 
Detailed View
P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)
 
P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)
P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA)

 
Pictures - Video
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All pictures © US Navy