Germany and Canada are cleared to expand their maritime surveillance fleets after the U.S. Navy awarded Boeing [NYSE: BA] a $3.4 billion contract for the production of 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, the manufacturer announced.
The Boeing 737-based Poseidon is used for submarine hunting, as well as anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
The U.S. Navy award includes 14 P-8s for the Royal Canadian Air Force and three for the German Navy.
“We are proud to add Canada to the list of international P-8 partners as well as to Germany’s fleet of maritime patrol aircraft,” Philip June, vice president and program manager of Boeing’s P-8A program, said in a statement. “The Poseidon is a proven aircraft, with more than 600,000 flight hours, that will serve Canada and Germany well in today’s challenging security environment and for decades to come.”
Boeing said that Canada, which announced in November it intended to purchase up to 16 P-8As to replace its current fleet of Lockheed CP-140 Auroras, will receive its first aircraft in 2026.
Germany’s order will increase its existing P-8A fleet to eight. Its navy will receive its first aircraft, which are set to replace its fleet of P-3 Orions, in 2025.
According to Boeing, there are 200 P-8s in service or on contract in nine countries.
