Australia will be the first global P-8A operator to receive Increment 3 Block 2 modifications, few months after the U.S. Navy started testing the upgraded jet.
Boeing has announced the induction of the first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) at its facilities to implement the Increment 3 Block 2 modifications. At the same time, the company announced that the RAAF is integrating its 13th aircraft in the fleet, after the delivery on Sept. 29, and will receive the last one in 2026.
Upgrades for Australian Poseidons
The announcement of the implementation of the new modifications on Australian Poseidons comes just few months after the U.S. Navy started testing the first upgraded P-8. Australia will now be the first global operator to upgrade its P-8s to the Increment 3 Block 2 modification.
“These upgrades, together with the delivery of the 13th P-8A, mark two important advancements for Australia’s defence of its vast coastline,” said Naomi Smith, director of Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) Sustainment Operations. “Increment 3 Block 2 will deliver next‑generation detection and targeting for aircrews, while the newest aircraft strengthens fleet readiness and operational reach, all while maintaining interoperability with the U.S. Navy P-8A fleet.”
As part of a four-year deal, Boeing says the RAAF’s P-8As will receive new antennas, sensors and software to improve computer processing and communication systems, allowing aircrews to search for, detect and target the world’s most advanced submarines. The first two aircraft will be upgraded by Boeing at its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility Jacksonville, Florida, while the remaining aircraft will be modified by Boeing Defence Australia at its Deeper Maintenance & Modification Facility near RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia.
The Increment 3 Block 2 modifications
The U.S. Navy started in early 2024 the work on the first P-8 to be modified with Increment 3 Block 2 capabilities. The aircraft then flew for the first time in the new configuration in June 2025.
These upgrades will enable 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, says the service.
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 will 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 are currently in progress at Boeing’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul hangar at Cecil Airport in Jacksonville, Florida. The facility, which continues to upgrade and deliver P-8As to the U.S. Navy, will also be used to upgrade aircraft of international operators.
The Navy said that, in response to evolving threats around the world, future P-8A modifications will be implemented via a sequence of rapid capability insertion efforts that build upon this new Increment 3 Block 2 baseline. The aircraft will also receive a signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability, as well as the payloads currently used by the MQ-4C Triton.
Australian P-8s and LRASM
A U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft was recently spotted carrying a LRASM (Long Range Anti-Ship Missile) in flight for the first time, as the service is working to integrate the new weapon on the platform. The integration of the LRASM has been known for some years, although the weapon was not seen on the P-8 until August 2025.
Australia committed to significantly upgrade the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) maritime strike capability, with a total of $895.5 million allocated for the acquisition of the LRASM. Two RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornets conducted a successful live firing of the AGM-158C off the coast of California in February 2025.
Following the completion of the operational testing, the MoD says the LRASM is now ready for operational use. The introduction of the weapon will increase the RAAF’s maritime strike range to more than 370 km.
“These weapon systems equip our forces to better protect Australia’s maritime approaches and when necessary, conduct operations in our region,” said the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. “It will be seen across the Super Hornet, Poseidon and F-35 fleets.”
It is likely that the integration of the LRASM on Australian Poseidons will coincide with the implementation of the Increment 3 Block 2 modifications.
