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.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.