US Navy orders additional P-8A aircraft

The US Navy will resume procurement of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, following a pause in Fiscal Years (FY) 2025 and 2026. The FY27 budget request, released in April 2026, includes 12 new aircraft valued at just over USD 4,2 billion.

FY27 is currently planned as the final production year, with the last deliveries expected in the first quarter of FY32.

The restart follows the completion of testing for the Increment 3 Block 2 configuration, which achieved initial operational capability (IOC) in April 2026. Procurement had been paused during FY25 - FY26 while this major upgrade was tested and finalised.

The Block 2 standard introduces improvements in sensors and processing, secure communications, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, supporting the Navy’s shift toward networked, system-of-systems operations.

The first aircraft were transferred to Boeing in March 2024 for modification at its Jacksonville/Cecil Airport (FL) facility, with upgrade work on initial airframes completed in June 2025. After an extended test programme, the upgraded configuration has now achieved IOC.

Credit photo: Niek van der Zande (Scramble Archive)