The first P-8A Poseidon fuselage for Norway arrived today at Boeing facilities in Renton, Washington, from Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, marking a major milestone in the production of the first of five Poseidons for the Royal Norwegian Air Force.

A derivative of the Boeing 737 Next-Generation commercial aircraft, the P-8 is first assembled at Boeing Commercial Airplanes' 737 production line, where the fuselage receives additional wiring and systems needed to support military components, equipment and operation. The aircraft is then delivered to Boeing's Defense, Space & Security unit for the installation of military systems, testing and delivery to military customers.

"Boeing uses a proven in-line production process to efficiently build the aircraft," says Christian Thomsen, P-8A Europe program manager. "Implementing established best practices and common, commercial production-system tools enables the team to reduce flow time and cost while ensuring quality and on-time delivery to our customers."

Norway is expected to receive its first P-8 later this year. In total, five P-8s will eventually replace Norway's current fleet of six P-3 Orions and three Falcon 20s and will provide advanced capabilities to maintain situational awareness in neighboring waters on and below the surface of the ocean.

To date, Boeing has delivered 104 P-8 aircraft to the U.S. Navy and customers in Australia, India and the United Kingdom.