P-8A Poseidon Enhanced Digital Flight Control System (EDFCS) Correction of Deficiencies (COD)
Award Notice Posted
- Solicitation number
- N00019-21-RFPREQ-APM290-1479
- Agency
-
Naval Air Systems Command
Department of the Navy, Department of Defense
- Awarded
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- Forecast
- P-8A Auto Pilot- Enhanced Digital Flight Control System (EDFCS) Federal forecast
- Contract number
- N0001926G1002-N0001926F1107
- NAICS code
- Not on record
- PSC
- Not on record
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Naval Air Systems Command awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order to The Boeing Company on July 31, 2026, for development, testing, and delivery of Enhanced Digital Flight Control System (EDFCS) software corrections to the P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The award addresses critical autopilot deficiencies identified in developmental and operational testing, including altitude acquire failures, autopilot speed exceedance, pitch oscillations, unexpected mode switching, slow auto-throttle response, and bank limit margin tuning. The corrected software will be delivered as a loadable update for operational-level retrofit of delivered aircraft. Required delivery is no later than February 29, 2028. The award was made on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S.C. § 3204(a)(1); NAVAIR determined that awarding to any source other than Boeing would result in an unacceptable 3-to-5-year delay due to proprietary technical data restrictions and Boeing's role as original equipment manufacturer and system integrator. Safety risks are acute—the current EDFCS design does not adequately ensure altitude capture, creating risk of uncommanded descent and controlled flight into terrain with loss of aircraft and crew. Contract number N0001926G1002; contract value $11,381,401.59.
Notice text
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) delivery order for the development, testing and delivery of aircraft loadable, black label enhanced digital flight control system software for operational level retrofit for delivered aircraft to correct deficiencies in the P-8A autopilot system that were noted in software design description developmental and operational testing. The software updates will improve or resolve altitude acquire issues, autopilot placard speed exceedance resulting from out throttle retard deficiency, pitch oscillations during airspeed climb and descent, unexpected mode switch from altitude acquire to vertical speed following speed command change, slow auto throttle response, and bank limit margin tuning.
Award to a source other than Boeing would result in an unacceptable delay of 3-5 years due to the Government’s inability to provide technical data to another source to develop and integrate the corrections to the software deficiencies to the EDFCS software. Additionally, the timeline delay is unacceptable due to the inherent safety risks that the P-8A is presently operating under. The current EDFCS design does not adequately ensure the P-8A can capture an altitude hold command when the autopilot system is engaged. The lack of altitude capture could cause the aircraft to enter an uncommanded descent resulting in a controlled flight into terrain with associated loss of aircraft and flight crew.
It was determined that a CPFF contract action was the appropriate contract type pursuant to FAR 16.103(d)(1). There are significant cost uncertainties due to the developmental nature of the effort and required end product of corrected deficiencies to the EDFCS for the P-8A aircraft. Therefore, the use of a fixed-price type contract would not provide an equitable and sensible allocation of program risk between the Government and the Contractor.
Awarded contract N0001926G1002 to THE BOEING COMPANY for 11381401.59 on 2026-07-31.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Redacted JA for P8A AutoPilot_26-0255.pdf |
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