Memorandum of understanding signed with United States Navy for cooperative development of P-8A Poseidon long range maritime patrol aircraft

I am pleased to announce that Defence has taken the first steps in a $A5 billion project to acquire a manned Maritime Patrol and Response Aircraft by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Navy (USN) to cooperatively develop upgrades to the P-8A Poseidon aircraft and support systems.

The manned aircraft, to be acquired under Project AIR7000 Phase 2, in conjunction with the Multi-mission Unmanned Aerial System, to be acquired under Project AIR 7000 Phase 1.

The P 8A is a modern, highly reliable aircraft based on the commercially-proven Boeing B737, and modified to incorporate the latest maritime surveillance and attack capabilities.

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