UK P-8As to cost £250m each

The US has agreed to the foreign military sale of nine Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft to the UK at a cost of $3.2 billion (£2.24 billion).

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency approval means that the UK can acquire the P-8A aircraft along with associated equipment, training, and support, which comes to an estimated £250 million each.

This is despite no modifications being made to the aircraft so they can be refuelled or to suit UK weaponry.

The proposed sale will allow the UK to re-establish its currently unfunded maritime surveillance aircraft capability that was divested when its Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft programme was cancelled.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the potential foreign military sale, and implementation of the proposed sale will require around 64 Boeing personnel to support the programme in the UK.

Other contractors include Martin Baker, General Electric, Arnprior Aerospace, Symmetrics, Terma, Exelis, Northrop Grumman, Pole Zero, Telephonics, Raytheon, Spirit, Rockwell Collins, GC Micro and ViaSat.

The P-8A Poseidon is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It can be used for broad-area maritime and littoral operations. It is derived from the Boeing 737-800 commercial aircraft.

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P-8 Poseidon