Boeing Maritime Jet Gains Favor in Australia, Paring Drone Need

Australia plans to buy more Boeing Co. (BA) P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jets than initially projected to replace planes dating from the 1970s, reducing its requirement for drones built by Northrop Grumman Corp.

Funding for the purchase will be sought next year, with talks under way about the exact mix of P-8s and MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft, the head of the Royal Australian Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, said in an interview in London.

Australia currently uses 18 Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) AP-3C Orions upgraded a decade ago to hunt submarines, monitor ship traffic and aid in rescue missions, with some planes also deployed in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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