Last week, Boeing officially unveiled the first of the new P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft for the future fleet of eight units that will be operated by the German Navy, now featuring the corresponding paint scheme of the institution. The aircraft, which will carry the registration 63+01 and tail number 170528, was presented at the facility the American company maintains in Seattle (Washington).
With a delivery date scheduled for August 2025, the institution has highlighted the speed with which the incorporation of this new P-8 Poseidon will be completed, considering that only four years have passed since the initial contract was awarded. In this regard, it is useful to recall that the German Navy ordered the first five aircraft of this model in June 2021, a number that was later increased with an additional contract for three more units in November 2023.
It is worth noting that the incorporation of the new P-8 Poseidons was conceived as a temporary solution to replace the P-3 Orion aircraft currently in service with the German Navy, which are set to retire this year and completed their modernization in 2020. Specifically, the new aircraft will become the Navy’s primary maritime patrol asset for an estimated period of a decade, taking into account the planned arrival of the new German-French Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) by 2035. However, the expansion of the original order, amid joint program reviews undertaken by France, suggests a potential shift in direction.
For now, the recently unveiled P-8 Poseidon will eventually join the German Navy’s 3rd Naval Air Wing, awaiting only the installation of mission systems and the corresponding certification tests. The process begins just as a commercial passenger aircraft is built, with the fuselage being transferred to Boeing Commercial Aircraft’s Renton facility for assembly. The aircraft will then receive the customer’s paint and insignia before being moved to the specialized defense facilities for the installation of the systems that convert it into a multi-mission military aircraft.
Additionally, it is useful to highlight that Germany will become the eighth user of the platform, joining the list of countries that includes the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, India, South Korea, Norway, and New Zealand. In total, there will be 130 operational aircraft, demonstrating the extensive network of customers and services Boeing has managed to secure. In line with this, the company has already defined partnerships with local companies such as ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik-GmbH, Aljo Aluminum-Bau Jonischeit GmbH, Nord-Micro GmbH, and Lufthansa Technik to provide maintenance and crew training services.
Finally, a brief review of the known features of the P-8 Poseidons acquired by Germany reveals that these will be equipped with the advanced AN/AAQ-24(V) DIRCM (Directional InfraRed CounterMeasure) self-protection system on the rear, which will allow them to more easily evade enemy attacks using infrared-guided missiles. Additionally, the German aircraft will be fitted with sonobuoy launchers, Mark 84 depth charges, and Mark 54 torpedoes in their internal compartments. This armament will be complemented by the ability to carry AGM-84 Harpoon missiles under their wings, as well as the AN/ALQ-240(V)1 electronic warfare system.
Images credited to Bundeswehr
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