How Much Does A Boeing P-8 Poseidon Cost (And What Is It Used For)?
Earlier this week, a Boeing P-8 Poseidon belonging to the United States Navy crashed after a failed landing at a United States Marine Corps base, according to CNN. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries to any of the nine crew onboard, although the plane has seen better days.
To aviation enthusiasts, the P-8 may look familiar, as it actually shares a basic airframe and several other components with a Boeing 737-800 airliner. According to the United States Navy, the P-8 can be equipped for a number of different missions, but its primary roles are hunting submarines and other sea vessels, as well as reconnaissance and intelligence gathering.
Each P-8 is equipped with an extensive sensor and radar suite that allows it to detect threats anywhere on (and under) the waves, a harder job than you might think. It was first deployed in 2013 as a replacement for the older P-3 Orion, an aircraft that has been in continuous service for over five decades.
A pricey submarine hunter
The P-8 is not a small aircraft either: the P-8A designation is 129 and a half feet long, with a wingspan of 123.6 feet. It's powered by two CFM turbofan jet engines that output 54,600 pounds of combined thrust. It has a top speed of 564 miles per hour, and a maximum altitude ceiling of 41,000 feet, per Boeing.
Each P-8A costs roughly $175 million to manufacture according to the United States Navy's annual budget. All of that money goes to outfitting what is essentially a passenger plane with not only an array of sensors to hunt for threats, but also act when such threats are identified. Each Poseidon is equipped with weapon bays that can launch either Mk 54 torpedoes, or AGM-54 Harpoon missiles for longer ranged engagements against enemy ships or surfacing submarines.
According to the Navy, over 155 P-8s are in service with multiple countries across all variations. Boeing lists the United States, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, and Germany as customers. The United States Government Accountability Office notes that the P-8A is planned to stay in service to the United States Navy until at least 2048.