“pretty much packed to the gills right now,” said instructor pilot Graham, noting the aircraft’s age and how changing missions throughout the years have been addressed by continually adding on to the aircraft. Cmdr. Andrew Miller, P-8A Fleet Introduction Team officer-in-charge and a P-3 pilot for 15 years who has been flying the P-8A for three and a half, noted the “P-3 stretched the extent of everything you could get out of it.” The P-8A system is undergoing its first major architectural update, which includes compressing 14 drives of data storage down to three, Miller said. The Navy will retrofit more than two dozen P-8As with the new architecture through its planned incremental updates. In January, the Navy awarded Boeing a contract to upgrade the P-8A and announced successful testing of the improved Boeing Harpoon missile, a candidate weapon for the P-8A. From an acquisitions strategy, the challenge is staying smart enough to be concurrent with or ahead of the technology—though it costs a lot of money to be cutting edge, Miller said. To help curb those costs, the Navy is trying to be as common as it can with the 737 “green” aircraft, which the Navy regards for its reliable airframe and the fact that parts are available just about everywhere. Currently the Navy has budgetary approval to purchase 109 of the aircraft. The last is planned for delivery in 2021. Boeing had delivered 35 production aircraft through February, all based at Jacksonville until squadrons from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., and Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, complete transition training. Five test aircraft have also been delivered. Other countries are taking note. To date, Boeing has delivered 24 | BOEING FRONTIERS
Frontiers April 2016 Issue
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