The State Department approved a potential $5.9 billion Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of up to 16 Boeing [BA] P-9A Poseidon patrol aircraft plus various associated systems and support services.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress of the sale on June 27.
Canada’s P-8A request covers 16 aircraft alongside Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System 5, Embedded Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Systems (EGIs); System Processor Replacements for AN/AAQ-24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) System Processor Replacement (LSPR) with Exelis Embedded GPS Receiver (EGR) integrated with SAASM; and Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (GLTA) for the AN/AAQ-24(V)N.
The sale also includes commercial engines, various sensors, the AN/AAQ-2 Acoustic System; AN/APY-10 Radar; AN/ALQ-240 Electronic Support Measures; NexGen Missile Warning Sensors; as well as various radios, electronic countermeasures and other systems associated with the P-8A.
In February, Boeing announced it intended to offer the P-8A for Canada’s Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) project that aims to replace the aging Royal Canadian Air Force fleet of CP-140 Aurora aircraft. The government wants the new aircraft to improve Canada’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities (Defense Daily, Feb. 10, 2022).
Canada is currently modernizing the CP-140 fleet and extending their lives to 2030, so the CMMA project seeks an aircraft to be operational after that life extension runs out.
In March, the Canadian government announced it selected the P-8 for the CMMA.
Canada said its funding range for the CMMA is about $3.9 billion U.S. dollars as of early 2022, with program definition planned for 2023-2024, implementation lasting from 2027-2028, initial delivery 2032-2033 and final delivery by 2038.
While the prime contractor for this sale would be aircraft builder Boeing, DSCA noted there are a “significant number of other companies under contract with the U.S. Navy” that would provide various components, systems and engineering services during execution.
DSCA said Canada also typically requests offsets, but any agreement on that will be defined in future negotiations between the purchaser and contractors.
The agency said Canada would use the aircraft to increase Canada’s maritime interoperability with the U.S. and other allies and contribute on mutual interest missions.
“This will significantly improve network-centric warfare capability for the U.S. forces operating globally alongside Canada,” the agency added.
Beyond the potential Canadian sale, in late 2022 and early 2023, Boeing delivered four P-8As to New Zealand to replace their fleet of six P-3K2 Orions (Defense Daily, Dec. 7, 2022).
In February, Boeing delivered the 12th and last P-8I aircraft to India under a deal originating in 2009 (Defense Daily, Feb. 25, 2022).
Variants of the P-8 serve in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, India, New Zealand, Norway and South Korean militaries.