Login
iscover
The global defence and aerospace giant has marked a new milestone in its development of the ISR platform.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Boeing has delivered its latest P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, taking the total number of platforms delivered to 150.
The newest aircraft took flight over Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest, set to be operated by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) One based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.
“There are now 150 P-8s around the world delivering confidence and an unmatched capability to our global customers,” Stu Voboril, vice president and program manager, P-8 Programs, said.
“Our focus has been, and will be, on delivering the world’s best maritime patrol aircraft.”
The platforms are deployed for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and search and rescue.
The global P-8 Poseidon fleet, which has clocked over 450,000 mishap-free flight hours, includes 112 aircraft delivered to the US Navy, 12 to Australia, 12 to India, nine to the United Kingdom and five to Norway.
The 150-strong global fleet excludes six test aircraft provided to the US Navy during the initial stages of the program, used by Boeing to assess capabilities and performance.
The Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) fleet of P-8A Poseidon aircraft has been active in recent months, including inaugural participation in Exercise Diamond Storm.
The month-long training program, held in June, was the last of three activities which formed part of the air warfare instructor course (AWIC) and was conducted alongside US forces at the Top End.
A RAAF P-8A Poseidon aircraft also recently flew to India for a combined India-Australia maritime surveillance exercise in the Indian Ocean.
The initiative aims to strengthen operational maritime domain awareness, enhance anti-submarine warfare manoeuvring, and improve interoperability.
However, the platform has also been involved in confrontations during its deployments in the region.
On 26 May, a People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) Shenyang J-16 strike fighter intercepted a RAAF P-8 Poseidon conducting “routine maritime surveillance activity” in international airspace over the South China Sea.
The fighter jet cut across the nose of the Australian surveillance platform, releasing a “bundle of chaff” ingested into the RAAF aircraft’s engine.
[Related: P-8A Poseidon makes history at Exercise Diamond Storm]
