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P-8A Poseidon Increment 3

Project Unit 3218 P-8A Increment 3 was previously called Spiral Two. It was not included in the Acquisition Program Baseline cost parameters established at MS C. The Navy’s P-8A Increment 3 was intended to provide enhanced capabilities to the P-8A aircraft in four sets of capability improvements. The first two sets include communications, radar, and weapons upgrades, which would be incorporated into the existing P-8A architecture. The second two sets would establish new open systems architecture and integrate improvements to the combat system’s ability to process and display classified information and its search, detection, and targeting capabilities.

In March 2016, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics approved an updated P-8A acquisition strategy, incorporating Increment 3 capabilities as a series of engineering change proposals to the existing program. Increment 3 would no longer be managed as a separate program as previously planned. In May 2016, the Under Secretary re-designated the P-8A as an acquisition category IC program and delegated Milestone Decision Authority to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. The acquisition program baseline was updated to support the strategy change in June 2016.

The P-8A Increment 3 program’s objective was to deliver improved capabilities while introducing competition and increasing the government’s role in developing future upgrades. Program officials stated Increment 3 would require the integration of new hardware and software based on mature technologies. As a result, the program has not identified any critical technologies. The program office estimates this effort was evenly split between hardware and software. The Navy awarded sole-source contracts to Boeing—the P-8A prime contractor—to integrate capabilities into the existing aircraft in fiscal years 2018 and 2019. In fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the program office plans to deliver an application based open system architecture, which would allow it to openly compete the development and integration of the future capabilities. This architecture upgrade was being competitively prototyped and executed as an open source, collaborative development. The program office awarded two software development contracts in 2014. Program officials said they would choose the best parts of each design and integrate them into a single architecture.

P-8A Inc 1 baseline configuration and Inc 2 Anti-Submarine Warfare enhancements are fielded in the fleet. The Navy was on track to field Inc 2 High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) in FY 2020, as paced by HAAWC production. P-8A Inc 3 consists of four separate Engineering Change Proposals (ECPs) 4-7 which incrementally increases warfighting capability under the P-8A baseline Acquisition Strategy. Inc 3 ECP 4 delivered to the fleet in FY 2018. Inc 3 ECP 5 Net Enabled Weapon/Communications, delivers to the fleet in FY 2020.

Inc 3 capability was added to the APB cost parameters in accordance with the P-8A APB signed June 8, 2016. Inc 3 capability integration includes: ECP 4 Ultra High Frequency Satellite Communications (SATCOM) Demand Assigned Multiple Access integrated waveform & Targeting Capability upgrades; ECP 5 includes Link-16 message [Net Enabled Weapon (J11), third party targeting (J12), and Electronic Warfare coordination (J14)], High Frequency radio Internet Protocol, Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) filtering, new IBS receiver, and Harpoon II+ upgrade; ECP 6 incorporates Net Ready KPP, a Combat System architecture upgrade, ASW Signals Intelligence, Higher than Secret processing, enhanced track management (Minotaur) and Wideband SATCOM; and ECP 7 incorporates Enhanced MAC capabilities via the Combat System architecture.

The Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee Delivery Order against Boeing Basic Ordering Agreement supported the development of P-8A Inc 3 Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) 4 that provides Ultra High Frequency SATCOM Demand Assigned Multiple Access integrated waveform and Targeting Capability upgrades and ECP 5 that provides Link-16 message [Net Enabled Weapon (J11), third party targeting (J12), and Electronic Warfare coordination (J14)], High Frequency radio Internet Protocol, Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) filters and new IBS receiver, and Harpoon II+. The contract was modified to include Inc 3 Block 2 and WB SATCOM Radome.

The U.S. Navy delivered the first P-8A Poseidon aircraft to be modified with Increment 3 Block 2 capabilities to Boeing on 27 March 2024, enabling the fleet to be outfitted with the full anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities outlined in the P-8A program’s evolutionary acquisition strategy.

The P-8A is the Department of Defense’s only long-range full-spectrum ASW, cue-to-kill platform, with substantial armed ASuW and networked ISR capabilities. Increment 3 Block 2 provides a significant upgrade to the P-8A airframe and avionics systems, and includes new airframe racks, radomes, antennas, sensors, and wiring. The modification incorporates a new combat systems suite with an improved computer processing and higher security architecture capability, a wide band satellite communication system, an ASW signals intelligence capability, a track management system, and additional communications and acoustics systems to enhance search, detection and targeting capabilities.

“Increment 3 Block 2 brings the capability that the P-8A was made for. These modifications would allow aircrews to search, locate and track the most advanced submarines in the world, enabling the fleet to pace the threat with the required capability and capacity to win the fight,” said Capt. Erik Thomas, program manager for the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft program office, PMA-290. “This delivery demonstrates the PMA-290 team’s outstanding work ethic, professionalism and dedication to the fleet.”

Increment 3 Block 2 related modifications would begin at Boeing’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul hangar at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida. The first fleet aircraft modification was expected to be complete in January 2025.

“P-8A Increment 3 is the next step in the spiral evolution of Poseidon. By design, and through the efforts of NAVAIR and industry teaming, Increment 3 Block 2 represents the baseline configuration the Navy needs to address tomorrow’s high-end threat,” said Rear Adm. Adam Kijek, Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group/Patrol and Reconnaissance Group Pacific.

In response to evolving threats around the world, future P-8A modifications would be implemented via a sequence of rapid capability insertion efforts that build upon this new Increment 3 Block 2 baseline. As of March 2024, U.S. Navy fleet squadrons have taken delivery of 119 P-8A aircraft. P-8A active duty and reserve squadron transition training was complete for all 14 fleet squadrons and one fleet replacement squadron. In addition, the P-8A fleet has flown for more than 503,783 flight hours and recorded more than 440,558 landings.

PMA-290 manages the acquisition, development, support and delivery of the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.

System improvements corrected several high-priority communication system interoperability and net ready compliance problems identified during IOT&E. The JITC follow-up assessments verified compliance with all 39 specified mission critical information exchange requirements, leading to joint use certification in October 2013. The JITC assessment also identified remaining net ready and interoperability shortfalls that require future improvement. The Navy has identified additional system enhancements necessary to deliver a fully net-enabled architecture as principle requirements of the P-8A Increment 3 upgrade program.