RAAF buys P-8A Poseidon
 

RAAF confirms order for 8 x P-8A's plus 4 options for delivery in 2017...

Good news for the fish-heads indeed...:ok:

Why would you want to operate an airframe optimised for high altitude flight and powered by a turbofan for (presumably) long endurance, low level missions?

What have they done to avoid these compromises for what looks like a 737-derived P8A?

:confused:

Electronic surveillance is at med/higher levels these days. Also the transit speed to/from AO is much reduced. Also the US Navy don't buy dud M/R aircraft...fits in with E-7A Wedgetail/BBJ fleet as well.

Don't forget it has in-flight refuelling capability too...

With 3 737NG platforms and the A330MRTT, the RAAF is starting to look a lot like Qantas/Virgin.

Good for RAAF pilots when they leave the service...

RAAF buys P-8A Poseidon
 

Great, they can take a pay cut and get a bond to fly the the same equipment. What a deal (for the airline).

^ lol

So are they to replace or compliment P3?

Neither! In news reported we are getting $Xb of drones to replace the P3's.

P-3 replacement: 8 [confirmed] + 4 [options] P-8A's + 7 [requested from US] MQ-4C Triton UAV's...

Re MQ-4C Triton UAV

We could be the first country to get them outside of the US.

ooops....bought a dud....rumor has it they left out the system that tracks subs...

The U.S. Navy’s next generation submarine hunter isn’t any good yet at hunting enemy submarines, according to recent Defense Department tests first reported on by Bloomberg.

A report filed by Michael Gilmore, chief of the Pentagon testing office, stated that the P-8A Poseidon exhibited flaws in the “plane’s radar performance, sensor integration and data transfer,” according to Bloomberg reporter Tony Capaccio, who received an early version of Gilmore’s report.

The U.S. Navy has spent about $35 billion on the P-8. The reported stated that the aircraft, which was built to replace the P-3 Orion, is not yet deployable, according to Gilmore’s report.

The Navy ran the P-8 through strenuous combat testing from September 2012 to March 2013. Results of those tests led Gilmore to conclude that the P-8 “is not effective for the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission and is not effective for wide area anti-submarine search,” according to the Bloomberg report.

U.S. officials outfitted a Boeing 737–800 with sensors capable of tracking submarines to produce the P-8. The Navy expected the P-8 to replace the P-3 and effectively track Chinese submarines.

The Navy plans to buy 113 of the P-8. So far, Boeing has delivered 13 of the aircraft.

Navy leaders told Bloomberg they are aware of the problems discovered in the P-8 and are working on software solutions to those problems.

http://defensetech.org/2014/01/24/re...r-doesnt-work/

$500 million apiece

Project costs include purchase plus support for 15-20 years as well as sims and base redevelopment etc. It is the "new" accounting method showing full project costs not just aircraft or equipment price...

Not ready for Prime Time

http://www.vpassociation.org/P8-Assessment.pdf

Maritime patrol aircraft not made by Lockheed? Isn't there a law against that? It's against the order of nature.

I guess one question is......Can the P-8 drop a liferaft to the 'future' Tony Bullimore's of the world..??

Is this to replace the P-3's ALTOGETHER..??

Cheaper to 'man and operate' maybe....BUT.....for those 'specialised' tasks....What then..??

Cheers
:ok:

The P-8 has a bomb-bay...

They could always use a C-17 ?

If Tony Bullimore gets stranded/capsized/almost killed in, on or by a yacht in Australian waters ever again, I vote we let the bugger drown! :mad:

Let the Japs pick him up for 'research' tbh.

I attended a National Nautical event in England several years a go, where Tony Bullimore was a guest speaker.
He left no doubt to any listener as to his deep appreciation of the Australian Navy and the Australian people for his rescue.
For your info:
Tony Bullimore