The US Department of Defence (DoD) awarded Boeing over $50 million for an upgrade. This modification tests the feasibility of acquiring eight P-8A Increment 3 retrofit A-kits for the US Navy's (USN) maritime patrol fleet. These kit upgrades will upgrade aircraft with network-ready weapons and open-systems avionics to support the US Navy's anti-submarine warfare capability upgrades.
This contract amendment emphasises the importance of improved anti-submarine warfare capabilities. With tensions between the United States and China at an all-time high, investment in their underwater warfare capabilities will undoubtedly increase as this tension manifests in the South China Sea region.
The Poseidon is a militarised version of the Boeing 737 single-aisle passenger aircraft.
Boeing has been developing, integrating, and testing increment 3 upgrade kits since receiving a $71.6 million order in June 2016.
