Jumbo jets to join the Navy: $2.4 billion in Poseidon aircraft ordered from Boeing

Looks like your average jumbo jet. Acts like a state-of-the-art war machine.

The U.S. Navy has ordered $2.4 billion worth of a new reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft that resembles the plane you might fly on to Cancun for a spring break. On Wednesday, Boeing announced it will produce 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft for this order.

Ultimately, the Navy plans to purchase 117 of the aircraft, which will replace its P-3C fleet.

The P-3C Orion is a four-engine, anti-submarine/surveillance aircraft that has acted as a maritime patrol plane for about half a century. It has advanced submarine detection sensors, such as directional frequency and ranging sonobuoys and magnetic anomaly detection equipment.

But the Poseidon will boost maritime patrol capabilities even more. It will serve the military as a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/02/27/jumbo-jets-to-join-navy-24-billion-in-poseidon-aircraft-ordered-from-boeing/?intcmp=features