On 9th October 2024, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr – BAAINBw) informed about the current status of manufacturing process of the three Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the German Naval Aviation (Marineflieger).
According to BAAINBw, maiden flight of the first German P-8A aeroplane is planned as early as next month. Delivery of the Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft to the German Navy is expected to begin in 2025.
Over the last few years, the future of the German fleet of P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) had been a subject of long-lasting debates (more information in our article from July of 2020 – Light and shadow of Jester – a story of Marineflieger P-3C Orion MPA) but finally, in June of 2021, the German authorities made the decision to buy five Boeing P-8A Poseidon. Then, in November of 2023, the number of the purchased aircraft was increased to eight.
That decision meant Germany is going to replace its current P-3C fleet on a one-for-one basis. That seems to mean a change to the initial concept, when acquirement of five P-8A was presented as only interim solution, until the introduction of joint Franco-German project known as Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS). The binational programme was intended to create a new MPA platform, as a successor to both German P-3C Orion and French Breguet Atlantique ATL2 naval aeroplanes.
It should be also mentioned that the German Navy is, for a quite long time, requiring at least twelve modern MPAs in active service. However, it is not likely the wishes of Marineflieger would be honoured.
At the end of 2023, the country´s authorities released their vision of future German Navy, known as Zielbild Marine 2035+ (English: Navy target image for beyond 2035). According to the document, the Naval Aviation will include eight P-8A MPAs, six Unmanned Aerial Systems, seventeen NH90 NTH Sea Lion helicopters and up to twenty-two UAV rotorcraft. The number of another variant of the NH90 helicopter, MRFH Sea Tiger, will be determined later (although current purchase plans include procurement of thirty-one examples of that rotorcraft until 2031).
The P-8A Poseidon is currently among the most popular long-range MPA in the world, being currently operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, the Indian Navy, the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, the Republic of Korea Navy and the US Navy. Recently, Canada ordered fourteen examples of the aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
More information about the Boeing P-8A Poseidon and its deliveries for New Zealand, Norway and Canada can be found in our articles listed below:
- Poseidon enters service – P-8A for Norway,
- Delivery of the first Boeing P-8A Poseidon to New Zealand,
- Canada looks towards P-8A Poseidon.
Interesting fact is that six of the retired German P-3C Orion aircraft were purchased by Portugal (more information about that deal in our article from September of 2023 – Portugal to acquire German P-3C Orion aircraft). Therefore, the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa) is already the third operator of those aircraft, initially acquired by the Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (Marineluchtvaartdienst) in the early 1980s and then sold to Germany.
Cover photo: Marineflieger P-8A Poseidon, visualisation by the Boeing company, © Boeing
