Photo by Clark Pierce
A Boeing P-8A Poseidon assigned to VX-1 recently took part in an operational anti-submarine warfare mission from NAS Jacksonville to an area off the east coast.
Posted on 02/29/2012 7:27:20 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
Poseidon on the prowl
P-8A crew successfully hunts undersea targets
Soon to begin joining the fleet’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) force is the Navy’s newest multi-mission platform, the P-8A Poseidon, which recently flew four successful operational missions Feb. 20-24 against submarines that did their best to elude the aircraft during a single-plane detachment to NAS Jacksonville.
ASW is an enabling mission for the Navy to combat challenges posed by new generations of very quiet nuclear and non-nuclear submarines.
VX-1 Test Pilot Cmdr. John Verniest is the P-8A operational test director and NATOPS program manager at NAS Patuxent River, Md. “During our weeklong detachment at NAS Jax we conducted four ASW missions and flew more than 30 hours to see how well our P-8A aircraft and mission systems performed in an operational environment against real-world submarines,” Verniest said.
“What we learned from this det will be helpful in our upcoming operational test readiness review to assess the maturity of the aircraft and its systems in preparation for our initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) later this year.”
He explained that the submarine force was informed that the P-8A would be on station at certain times in an attempt to detect and track them. Naturally, Sailors of the “silent service” did not want to be detected.
For each mission, with flights ranging from six to almost nine hours and averaging four hours on station, the Poseidon combat aircrew located a real target (submarine) – somewhere off the east coast – and tracked it throughout the on-station period.
(Excerpt) Read more at jacksonville.com ...
Photo by Clark Pierce
A Boeing P-8A Poseidon assigned to VX-1 recently took part in an operational anti-submarine warfare mission from NAS Jacksonville to an area off the east coast.
Photo by Clark Pierce P-8A Tactical Coordinator Lt. Stefanie Haseman and P-8A Operational Test Director Cmdr. John Verniest led the VX-1 crew evaluating the Poseidon's anti-submarine warfare systems in four missions recently flown from NAS Jacksonville
The P-3 flies 14+ hours missions with lots of loiter. The fly at 300ft above the waterline when they should. If they lose 1 of 4 engines, they continue the mission when this 737 wanna-be has to come home over a fluid leak.
The VP squadrons worldwide would rather see all new L-188 Electra aircraft but the assh)les in DC wanted to go "new".
What they don't realize is that when you find perfection, stop.
Now, the PILOTS like the 737...for obvious reasons. They're looking for their mandatory 1500 hrs to go commercial.
the thing is, if we can detect our subs, so can other advanced nations. at least we have to assume they can to some extent.
Agreed. That does NOT look like the bird for the job.
I’m working the roll out on the P-8A. Wish I could tell you all about it, but that wouldn’t be too wise.
I disagree... The P-8A can get to it’s target area quicker and has more range with mid-air refueling which the P3 can’t do. With the modern avionics and gizmos it won’t need to loiter 300ft above the water giving away it’s position...
Guess you have said enough!! This seems to be one program which has progressed without serious glitches or delays.
How sweet, don’t they look proud?
The P-3 is a better airplane than this will ever be.
Anyone know which airframe that weapon is built on....possibly a 757 or something?
737.
Too late, I noticed that Reply #3 says it’s a 737. Looks longer than a 737, on which I’ve flown Southwest frequently. Could be, though. As they say in Japan:
Shidonai yo!
Went to the Boeing P-8a website and learned that it is a 737, but not a standard one. It’s a lash-up of parts from several iterations of 737:
“The P-8A is the latest military derivative aircraft to benefit from a culture of technical innovation and the One Boeing approach to manufacturing (see In Line Production video). The P-8A is a derivative of the highly successful and reliable Next-Generation 737. The P-8A has the fuselage of a 737-800 and the wings of a 737-900. Modifications to the baseline commercial aircraft are incorporated into the aircraft in-line. In the past, commercial aircraft were sent to modification centers where they were taken apart and rebuilt to meet military specifications. The P-8A is Boeing’s first military derivative aircraft to incorporate structural modifications to the aircraft as it moves through the commercial line.”
I wonder why they didn’t install winglets? They’re proven for better fuel economy/range and take-off and landing performance.
Why not UAV’s doing this task?..
ping
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, and end of the Cold War, P-3 operations at Lajes declined, and the Naval Air Facility was inactivated in the late 1990s.It's sad how things just pass you by when you're not looking.
I have never understood why the military version of the Electra was so much better than the civilian version. I had one occassion to fly on an Electra, back in 1961 (yeah, the Electra is THAT old)from Tampa to New Orleans. It vibrated so badly on takeoff and landing that it felt like it was going to fall apart.
I had been on leave and when I reported back, I found out that one of my felllow Marines from Chicago had been killed when his Electra sucked bird(s) into an engine and the whole plane fell apart. It was EXACTLY at the same moment I was landing in New Orleans!
After that, I would deliberately avoid flying on an Electra, even if it meant long layovers.
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