Boeing has opened a new P-8 aircraft production facility at Boeing Field in Seattle.
The building, which is a refurbished factory, gives Boeing additional space for the installation of mission systems and to conduct tests on aircraft for current and future customers. The P-8 airframes are built next to the commercial 737 line at nearby Renton and then flown to Boeing Field for the additional work.
“The new factory is a great fit as Boeing transitions to building production aircraft, in part because it allows us to incorporate a leaner workflow,” said Boeing’s vice president and P-8 program manager, Chuck Dabundo. “We’ll complete work on the P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the US Navy and the P-8I aircraft for the Indian navy in this facility, and plan to use this space for future P-8 customers’ aircraft as well.”
The US Navy plans to order 117 P-8As to replace its P-3C fleet, while Australia is likely to order up to 10 to replace some of its AP-3Cs from 2015.
