Poseidon Takes Bullet(s) for Navy Pilots

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Edited by Robert H. Williams

Live-fire testing by The Boeing Company of St. Louis, Mo., is bringing the Navy a step closer to its goal of purchasing 108 new P-8A aircraft to replace its fleet of P-3C anti-submarine surveillance aircraft.

The new aircraft are expected to enter service in 2013.

The live-fire tests focused on dry bays that are located next to fuel tanks and spaces that house electrical and hydraulic lines, environmental control systems or engine bleed-air lines. The intent is to automatically detect and suppress dry bay fires.

“The data we’ve gathered from this early live-fire testing already has been incorporated into our system design and confirms we’re moving in the right direction,” says Paul Martin, P-8A test and evaluation manager.

Fire suppression testing for the aircraft should be concluded by 2009 and full-scale live-fire drills are scheduled to begin in 2012.
The current trials were conducted at the Navy’s Weapons Survivability Laboratory in China Lake, Calif.

The P-8A fuselage production recently began at Spirit AeroSystems, in Wichita, Kan.

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