P-8A Poseidon arrives in Australia
The first P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has arrived in the country from Boeing’s Seattle, Washington, facility. The aircraft was welcomed by the air force at a ceremony on 16 November.
This is the first of fifteen P-8A aircraft the government committed to acquiring in the 2016 Defence White Paper. Twelve are already contracted to be delivered by March 2020.
The aircraft will provide maritime surveillance and anti-submarine capabilities around the nation’s coastline and maritime approaches.
It will operate alongside up to seven MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft (still to be procured) to provide an advanced maritime surveillance capability to replace the ageing AP-3C Orion platform.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role]()
Outgoing US Navy Secretary names a host of vessels among his last actions in the role
The outgoing US Secretary of the Navy named destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers during his last weeks in office.
-
![Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?]()
Can retrofitted autonomy support cash-strapped navies?
Autonomous vessels can reduce risk to the lives of naval personnel, but could retrofitting be a faster, cheaper option?
-
![India commissions three new vessels]()
India commissions three new vessels
The new vessels, Nilgiri, Surat and Vagsheer, will be deployed to protect vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
