BAE Systems Secures $95 Million Contract to Enhance P-8A Poseidon Defense

BAE Systems has been awarded a $95 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop advanced countermeasure pods to protect P-8A Poseidon aircraft from missile threats.

BAE Systems has been awarded a $95 million contract by the U.S. Navy to provide advanced countermeasure pods for the P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft. These electronic warfare (EW) pods are designed to detect and counter incoming missile threats, enhancing the aircraft’s safety and operational capabilities in hostile environments.

Don Davidson, director of Advanced Compact Electronic Warfare Solutions at BAE Systems, emphasized the importance of this collaboration with the U.S. Navy. "We quickly prototyped a very capable system using proven technology to defend against air-to-air and surface-to-air guided threats," Davidson said.

The survivability pod developed by BAE Systems offers early threat detection and effective countermeasures. Its flexible, open architecture design ensures easy modernization and compatibility with future threat detection and decoy technologies. This adaptability allows the system to be rapidly updated and integrated with third-party electronic warfare techniques.

This engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract follows a previous rapid-response contract awarded in 2021, where BAE Systems successfully demonstrated a prototype system. The demonstration involved designing, building, and testing a pod, showcasing strong collaboration between the military and industry. The success of these initial tests led to the current EMD contract.

The P-8A self-protection pod is part of BAE Systems’ broader Intrepid Shield initiative, which uses the full electromagnetic spectrum to detect, exploit, and counter advanced threats. This pod can also be adapted for use with other high-value airborne assets, extending its protective capabilities to various aircraft operating in contested environments.

The P-8A Poseidon, developed by Boeing, is primarily used for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. Enhancing its defense capabilities with BAE Systems’ countermeasure pods will significantly improve the aircraft's survivability in high-threat areas, ensuring mission success and crew safety.

BAE Systems' commitment to innovation and rapid prototyping demonstrates its ability to meet the urgent needs of the U.S. Navy and other international customers, providing robust defense solutions for critical airborne assets.