Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) has been awarded a six-year contract valued at $287 million to provide sustainment as the platform steward for the RAAF’s fleet of P-8A Poseidon maritime ISR aircraft.

The new award takes effect from October 2020, and sees three previous support contracts amalgamated to cover maintenance, engineering, and logistics on the RAAF’s 12 jets. BDA sub-contracts some of the work to Airbus Australia Pacific.

“Since standing up the interim sustainment contract in 2016, BDA has partnered with the RAAF to support the seamless introduction into service of this critical new capability, and ensured the highest levels of operational availability to enable the P-8A to perform its critical maritime patrol role,” BDA’s director of Commercial Derivative Aircraft, Darryn Fletcher said in a statement. 

“Under this new contract, BDA will not only be responsible for the Australian elements of the sustainment program but also takes on a platform steward role,” he added. “This means taking full ownership for everything needed to keep the platform flying and broadens BDA’s responsibilities to include asset management, aircraft-on-ground responsibilities, and cyber-worthiness amongst other tasks.”

DG of CASG’s Aerospace Surveillance and Response platforms, AIRCDRE David Scheul said, “Defence recognises BDA’s strong P-8A sustainment performance since the successful introduction of the capability in 2016, and their essential contribution to the P-8A capability. Under the platform stewardship model we look forward to BDA continuing to improve operational and capability outcomes for Air Force, in concert with US Navy provided sustainment and capability development support under the P-8A Cooperative Program.”

The P-8A entered RAAF service in 2016, and the 12th aircraft was delivered in November 2019. The ADF holds options for an additional three P-8As, and these will need to be confirmed before the options lapse in late 2020.