Has anyone worked out what the requirements would be for a maritime patrol craft to be effective against drug running semi-submersibles and submarines?

$275 million for a P-8?!?

 

A Boeing 737-900ER costs an airline less than $86 million per, less with a volume order.  Are we really putting $189,000,000 worth of gear on each aircraft?

 

I'm sure sensors, the hardpoints, chaff dispensers. air-air refueling capabilities and other mil-spec upgrades costs SOMETHING, but literally tripling the price of the base aircraft?!?

 

Hey, I know a large cash-strapped country who might really get into the concept of a P-8 Lite... 

I know it has 4 engines, but the C-130 seems perfect for the role of a cheaper P-8 alternative.

 

The very latest military version (C-130J) under 70 million.

Why the heck is Boeing seeking to buy an airplane?  What do we pay THEM for?  Can't they come up with their own airframe? 

Well, HeavyD the most expensive portion of any Defense Program is the electronic equipment, the P-8 needs a radar, a set of sonar receivers, processing equipment, ESM gear, communications suite, FLIR and the like.  None of which is cheap, should it cost 190 Million, that's debatable but nonetheless the air frame and engines are the cheapest part of the program.

 

You really need to read Friedman, US Aircraft Carriers or US Destroyers  You're going to learn a lot about procurement costs, or read about the CF-101 Arrow or the TSR-2 (failed advanced aircraft)-both of which suffered from extremely expensive electronics.  Once you read about the costs of NTIDS and the weapons control systems of the USN and the RN you'll begin to understand why a P-8 costs so much more than the straight P-8 airframe and engines.

"Well, HeavyD the most expensive portion of any Defense Program is the electronic equipment, the P-8 needs a radar, a set of sonar receivers, processing equipment, ESM gear, communications suite, FLIR and the like.  None of which is cheap, should it cost 190 Million, that's debatable but nonetheless the air frame and engines are the cheapest part of the program"

 

If this is true, then the P8 Lite is an absolute non-starter.  If all they are going to save on is the airframe then you are still looking at a $200MM aircraft.  If this thing costs $100MM it's still way out of the budget of many potential customers.

 

Now we don't know where the $275MM system cost, hopefully that includes all of the development costs.  Back those out and we're hopefully peeling back to $200MM (which is still a crapload of money...)

This may be an apples-and-oranges problem if the $86M is just for the bare aircraft and the $275M includes spares and a maintenance contract.

The P-8's target audience is the USN, who CAN afford $200 Million...so it's cost and that cost's effect on exports is fairly irrelevant.