Yesterday, October 1, the German Navy celebrated the delivery and reception of what constitutes the first of its new P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The official ceremony held to commemorate this milestone was attended by Boeing executives as well as German government and armed forces authorities. This new aircraft, the first of a total of eight, marks a new step in the renewal of Germany’s maritime surveillance and patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-surface warfare capabilities for the Bundeswehr.
The new aircraft, delivered at Boeing’s production facility in Seattle, Washington, is part of an agreement signed in 2021 with the aim of replacing the aging P-3C Orion fleet, which is still in service for surveillance, patrol, and submarine detection missions with Naval Air Wing No. 3 Graf Zeppelin, with six units later sold to Portugal in 2023. The deal amounted to US$1.29 billion (€1.43 billion) for the initial purchase of five aircraft, later expanded with an additional contract for three more units in November 2023 worth €1.1 billion.
Given the capabilities that this new platform will bring to the German Navy in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as search-and-rescue missions, Tory Peterson, vice president and program manager for the P-8 Poseidon, stated: “The P-8A is a proven and interoperable aircraft that will enable the German Navy and its NATO allies to effectively detect and counter threats both above and below the surface.”
According to the established timeline, this first aircraft was unveiled by Boeing in early February 2025, showing its progress and preparations for delivery. Images at the time confirmed that the aircraft carries the registration “63+01” and tail number “170528.”
As for the next steps, the German Armed Forces Procurement Office (BAAINBw) will carry out final quality controls and acceptance tests so that the aircraft can be transferred to its operational unit in the coming months. In this regard, it has been confirmed that the aircraft will serve with Marinefliegergeschwader 3 (Naval Air Wing 3) of the German Navy, located in the country’s northwest along the North Sea coast.
At this stage, it is important to note that with the retirement of the P-3C Orion, the new P-8A Poseidons will become the German Navy’s primary aerial maritime patrol asset for the next decade. More specifically, and in order to secure a long-term solution for this segment of its military aviation, Berlin and Paris have been pushing forward the joint MAWS (Maritime Airborne Warfare System) program, designed to equip both countries’ navies with a European airborne maritime warfare system. However, faced with delays and prolonged development timelines, the German government decided to procure the U.S.-made aircraft, while the French Navy proceeded with upgrades to its Atlantique 2 (ATL2).
Plans, however, now appear to have shifted course. As reported a few weeks ago, and based on the institution’s most recent budget request, Germany is evaluating the purchase of up to four additional P-8A Poseidons from the U.S. If confirmed, the fleet would rise to 12 units, which would not only ensure capability coverage in the period leading up to the eventual entry into service of MAWS but could also deliver the final blow to the Franco-German program, leaving little practical room against Boeing’s already proven and mature solution in terms of capabilities and industry readiness.
Finally, reviewing some of the known features of the P-8 Poseidons acquired by Germany, it should be highlighted that they will be equipped with the advanced AN/AAQ-24(V) DIRCM (Directional Infrared Countermeasure) self-protection system, allowing them to more effectively counter enemy attacks involving infrared-guided missiles.
In addition, the German aircraft will be equipped with sonobuoy launchers, Mark 84 depth charges, and Mark 54 lightweight torpedoes. This arsenal is complemented by the ability to carry AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles under the wings, as well as the AN/ALQ-240(V)1 electronic warfare system.
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