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The U.S. Navy's next-generation maritime patrol aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, successfully completed its critical design review on June 15 with zero requests for action for industry partner Boeing, who hosted the meetings in Seattle. Production of the P-8A is expected to begin later this year.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin were part of a new competition for a replacement aircraft begun in 2000. Lockheed submitted the Orion 21, an updated, but new-build, version of the P-3 turboprop, based upon the Electra airliner, and Boeing submitted a proposal centered on its 737-800ERX airliner. BAE Systems offered a new build version of the Nimrod, the U.K.'s jet-powered maritime patrol aircraft since 1969. However, BAE withdrew from the competition in October 2002, recognizing the political reality that the failure to find a U.S.-based production partner made the bid unrealistic.

The project is expected to be for at least 108 airframes for the U.S. Navy alone, and perhaps more to other nations that operate more than 200 P-3s. Project value is expected to be worth at least $15 billion, and as much as $45 billion.

The P-8 will be based upon a similar but larger airframe variant of the C-40 Clipper and T-43; it is the first militarized variant of the -800 series 737. The aircraft is designated P-8, which is the next in series from the aborted P-7 project. The P-8 is unique in that it has 767-400ER-style raked wingtips, instead of the blended winglets available on other 737NG variants. It also includes six additional body fuel tanks, three in the forward cargo compartment and three in the rear, for extended range. These are manufactured by Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, UK.

Poseidon fuselages will be built in Wichita, Kan. and then transferred to Boeing's commercial division in Seattle, for the wing and tail assemblies. The nearly complete aircraft will then move to the Integrated Defense System line for completion and delivery to the Navy. Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Smiths Aerospace, Marshall Aerospace, CFMI, BAE, and Marotta are subcontractors. The P-8 program plans to begin delivering the Poseidons beginning in 2013.

The P-8's predecessor, the LockheedP-3 OrionASW aircraft, has been in service with the U.S. Navy since 1961.