Status: 01.07.2021 10:42 a.m.
The German Navy is to get five new maritime patrol aircraft of the type Boeing P-8A Poseidon. According to the Ministry of Defense, the costs are around 1.1 billion euros. Minister Kramp-Karrenbauer expects a quick delivery.
Germany has ordered five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in the USA. “The acquisition with a volume of around 1.1 billion euros serves the urgent and necessary preservation of the ability to carry out long-range sea reconnaissance and airborne submarine tracking,” declared the Federal Ministry of Defense. After the approval of the parliamentary budget committee, the contract will now be signed.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said she was optimistic that Boeing could deliver the aircraft quickly despite the challenges with other defense programs, especially since the P-8A is not a new development. “It’s something we buy off the shelf,” she told reporters in Washington. “We are very optimistic that we can complete the order relatively quickly.”
Replacement for Orion aircraft
As the Bundeswehr explains on its website, according to the Ministry of Defense, the contract also includes additional services in addition to the five aircraft – such as communication equipment and an initial requirement for spare parts, test equipment and special tools.
German suppliers are also involved in the project, according to a press release from Boeing. In cooperation with them, the company would offer the Bundeswehr or the Navy technical support, training and maintenance.
According to Boeing, Germany will be the eighth customer for this model – alongside the USA, Australia, India, Great Britain, Norway, South Korea and New Zealand. There are now more than 130 Poseidons in operation worldwide, with a total of over 300,000 flight hours.
The Poseidon aircraft are intended to temporarily replace the aging German fleet of Lockheed P-3C Orion. Kramp-Karrenbauer said Germany is continuing to develop a longer-term replacement together with France as part of the Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) program.