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2013-04-01

A True Multi-mission Aircraft With the P-8, Boeing has changed the way military aircraft are built

The P-8, a military derivative of the Boeing Next-Generation 737-800, is an advanced anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft. It is a true multi-mission aircraft that provides long-range maritime reconnaissance capabilities. The aircraft’s speed, reliability, persistence and room for growth allow it to satisfy any customer’s current and future requirements. P-8 aircraft feature an open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and have a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment.

With the P-8, Boeing has changed the way military aircraft are planned, designed and built. P-8 aircraft for the US Navy and India are built using a first-in-industry in-line production process in Renton, Washington, that takes advantage of the proven efficiencies, manufacturing processes and performance of the highly reliable Next-Generation 737. Using established best practices and common commercial production tools enables Boeing to reduce flow time and cost while ensuring quality.

Variants

P-8A Poseidon: It is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. Capable of broad-area maritime and littoral operations, the P-8A will influence how the maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate and deploy.

The P-8A Poseidon is a true multi-mission platform. On board P-8A, all sensors contribute to a single fused tactical situation display, which is then shared over both military standard and internet protocol data links, allowing for seamless delivery of information. As an armed platform, P-8A independently closes the kill chain, while simultaneously providing data to everyone on the network P-8I: In January 2009 Boeing was selected to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the US Navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing signed a contract on January 1, 2009, to deliver eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. Boeing delivered the first P-8I in December 2012, and the remaining seven will be delivered by 2015. India’s immediate need is for eight aircraft, but analysts believe there is long-term potential for additional aircraft sales.

P-8 AGS: The Boeing P-8 Airborne Ground Surveillance (AGS) concept is an innovative and capable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform equipped with an arsenal of multi-spectral sensors. AGS will transform the US Air Force Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) mission with improved capabilities, reliability, efficiencies and affordability. The US Air Force currently is conducting an Analysis of Alternatives to determine how best to modernize its E-8C JSTARS fleet.

Platform

•P-8 AGS is a militarized 737-800 commercial jet

•CFM56-7B engine

•180 customers

•Extremely fuel efficient

•Lowest in-flight shut down rate of any commercial jet engine on the market

•Mission fuel: 64,000 pounds

•Unrefueled mission endurance: 9 hours

•Refueled mission endurance (air to air) : 23 hours

Capabilities

•Common system based on the Boeing family of 737-based military products

•Advanced AGS sensor features Ground Moving Target Indicator and Synthetic Aperture Radar

•Multi-mode AN/APY-10 radar

•Electro optical/infrared sensor

•Electronic Support Measures/Self-protection system

•AGS can accommodate various sensors and weapons under each wing and a deployable unmanned airborne vehicle

In-line Production

The P-8A is the latest military derivative aircraft to benefit from a culture of technical innovation and the One Boeing approach to manufacturing. The P-8A is a derivative of the highly successful and reliable Next-Generation 737. The P-8A has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900. 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.

Boeing is using a first-in-industry production process and its existing Next-Generation 737 production system to efficiently design and build P-8 aircraft. The P-8’s 737-800 fuselage is built in Wichita, Kansas, and then sent to Boeing’s final assembly facility in Renton, Washington, where all aircraft structural features unique to the P-8A are incorporated in sequence during fabrication and assembly. Aircraft quality and performance acceptance flight testing takes place at Renton Field and final installation and checkout of the mission system and special flight test instrumentation is conducted at Boeing Field.

The first test aircraft began US Navy formal flight testing at Boeing Field in late 2009 and ferried to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, on April 10, 2010, for completion of flight test. Boeing’s first production P-8A made its initial flight on July 7, 2011 and was officially delivered to the Navy March 4, 2012. The second production plane was delivered on July 17, 2012 and the third aircraft on September 6, 2012. On November 2, 2012 the fifth production P-8A Poseidon aircraft was delivered to the US Navy.

Customers

The US Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As to replace its fleet of P-3C aircraft. In January 2011, Boeing received a $1.6 billion contract for low-rate initial production of the first six aircraft, spares, logistics and training devices; in November 2011, Boeing received a $1.7 billion LRIP award for seven additional P-8As. In September 2012, Boeing received a $1.9 billion contract for 11 aircraft, bringing the total to 24. P-8A initial operational capability is slated for 2013. As part of the LRIP contracts, Boeing is also providing aircrew and maintenance training for the Navy, in addition to logistics support, spares, support equipment and tools.

On January 1, 2009, Boeing signed a contract with the government of India to provide eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. The P-8I is a derivative of the P-8A designed specifically for the Indian navy. India is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing delivered the first P-8I in December 2012, and the remaining seven will be delivered by 2015. India’s immediate need is for eight aircraft, but analysts believe there is long-term potential for additional aircraft sales.

Australia signed an MOU with the US Navy in 2009 and will collaborate in Increment 2. In March 2012, a production, sustainment and follow-on development MOU was signed.

There are numerous other opportunities for international sales to countries currently operating P-3s or similar maritime patrol aircraft. Interest has been expressed by many countries including Australia and Italy.

Industry Team

The P-8A is being developed by a Boeing-led team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems.

An industry leader in large-scale systems integration, Boeing provides unrivaled expertise in customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces. Boeing is completing final assembly of the P-8A in Renton, Washington, taking advantage of the proven efficiencies, manufacturing processes and performance of the existing Next-Generation 737 production system.

Boeing and its industry partners provide unrivaled expertise in both large-scale systems integration and network centric operations, plus unquestioned leadership in developing and customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces.

CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma Moteurs and General Electric Company, provides the CFM56-7 engines that power the P-8A. The two engines each provide 27,300 pounds of takeoff thrust. The CFM56-7 is one of the world’s most reliable engines. This fleet of engines has logged more than 30 million flight hours while maintaining an industry-leading .002 percent in-flight shut down rate per 1,000 hours of flight.

Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector provides the directional infrared countermeasures system, and the electronic support measures system. Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector develops data links for P-8A; the company’s Integrated Systems sector supports the mission planning effort.

Raytheon provides the AN/APY-10 radar which delivers all weather, day/night multi-mission maritime, littoral and overland surveillance capabilities. Raytheon also provides the MK 54 lightweight torpedo.

GE Aviation supplies both the Flight Management and Stores Management systems on the P-8A. The Flight Management System provides an integrated open architecture that is CNS/ATM compatible along with an inherent growth path for upgrades. The Stores Management System provides a comprehensive system for the electronic control of integrated weapons management.

Spirit AeroSystems builds the 737 aircraft’s fuselage and airframe tail sections and struts in Wichita, Kansas. Spirit supplies large component parts and assemblies for a number of Boeing commercial aircraft.

BAE Systems provides the mission computing and display system (MCDS), flight deck panels and data diode

Milestones

Boeing was awarded a $3.89 billion contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the program on June 14, 2004. Since the System Development and Demonstration contract was awarded to Boeing in 2004, the P-8A Poseidon program has been a model acquisition program. SDD activities include developing and integrating all the necessary software and onboard mission systems and developing training systems.

The initial SDD contract included building five test vehicles: three flight test aircraft (T1, T2 and T3), one full-scale static test airframe and one full-scale fatigue test airframe (S1 and S2). The contract included an option for two additional test vehicles (T4 and T5), which has since been exercised. One additional flight test aircraft (T6) also was added to the contract.

In November 2005 the Navy announced that the P-8A preliminary design review (PDR) was the best major weapons system PDR it had ever reviewed. A successful critical design review was completed in July 2007.

The team started production of the first test aircraft on December11, 2007, at Spirit’s facility. Fuselage assemblies come together on Spirit’s existing Next-Generation 737 production line. Spirit delivered the first fuselage to Boeing in late March 2008 and final assembly of the aircraft began the same day in Renton, Washington. The P-8A made its first flight on April 25, 2009. Full-scale static testing of the P-8A’s airframe was completed in January 2011.

Ref / Photo Credit: www.boeing.com

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