Australia’s P-8A Poseidon achieves IOC
Australia’s P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft has achieved initial operating capability (IOC), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced on 20 March.
Together the Poseidon and the future MQ-4C Triton aircraft are expected to improve Australia’s ability to conduct anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol and surveillance of Australia’s maritime areas.
The P-8A is replacing the AP-3C Orion in RAAF service. To date, six out of 12 P-8As on order have arrived in Australia and are being operated by Number 11 Squadron from RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
HII and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries sign MoU to explore shipbuilding collaboration
The Memorandum of Understanding focused on speeding up naval shipbuilding and production in both companies.
-
Latest Virginia-class submarine, USS Iowa, commissioned
SSN-797 was commissioned as USS Iowa, the first Virginia-class submarine of the second Trump administration. It was described as “just the beginning” of a revitalisation of US naval shipbuilding by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
-
Raytheon, Nammo and Northrop Grumman join forces to produce MK72 solid rocket motors
MK72 is a crucial capability for the SM-3 interceptors and the Aegis BMD system.
-
Horizon-class vessels complete critical design review in mid-life upgrade
The critical design review puts the vessels on course to be fully upgraded by the end of 2030.
-
Canada begins work on heavy polar icebreaker to protect its high-Arctic sovereignty
The vessel, made under the auspices of the country’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, will be the first heavy icebreaker built in Canada for over six decades.
-
Fincantieri begins steel-cutting on FREMM EVO frigates for the Italian Navy
The two new frigates are expected to enter service by 2030.