Boeing delivered the Navy’s first production P-8A Poseidon maritime warfare and patrol aircraft, announced the company. “The Navy fleet is more than ready to receive the P-8A, which will provide the users and operators a step increase in mission capabilities,” said Rear Adm. Paul Grosklags, program executive officer for air anti-submarine warfare. Delivery of this aircraft, the first of 13 low-rate initial production P-8s, took place on March 4 in Seattle. The Navy will use this airframe for aircrew training at NAS Jacksonville, Fla. Boeing has already supplied the Navy with eight pre-production P-8s for flight and ground tests at NAS Patuxent River, Md. Based on Boeing’s 737-800 airliner, Poseidon will serve in anti-ship and anti-submarine roles and will provide over-water intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capability. The Navy intends to purchase a total 117 P-8As to replace its long-serving fleet of P-3 Orions.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.