Norway inducts first P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft from Boeing

Europe, News, US November 20, 2021 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. aerospace company Boeing announced that Norway received the first of five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

Norway’s first P-8A Poseidon aircraft “Vingtor” was delivered to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) in a ceremony held at the Museum of Flight on November 18, in Seattle, Washington, United States.

The P-8A aircraft will be operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) 333 Squadron at Evenes Air Station.

The NDMA Director General Mette Sørfonden said, “Norway is responsible for large maritime areas in a strategically important part of the world, and the new P-8A Poseidon will represent a tremendous improvement in our ability to both protect our sovereignty and understand developments in these areas. Today’s delivery of our first P-8A is an important milestone in the modernization of Norway’s maritime patrol aircraft capability.”

“I’m very pleased that the NDMA will soon be able to provide the Norwegian Armed Forces with a whole new generation of aircraft that will play an important role in preserving our national security for many years to come,” Mette Sørfonden added.

The Boeing P-8 aircraft’s vice president and program manager Stu Voboril said, “We’re honored to provide this unmatched, multimission maritime patrol capability to Norway.” Stu Voboril further stated that “Norway joins seven other global customers that have selected or already operate the P-8 and benefit greatly from its long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. We look forward to enhancing our continued and enduring partnership with the U.S. Navy and the Royal Norwegian Air Force, and supporting the future fleet’s sustainment and training needs.”

According to the statement, the remaining four aircraft for Norway, named Viking, Ulabrand, Hugin and Munin, are all in advanced stages of production and will be delivered to the NDMA in 2022. The five P-8As will replace the RNoAF existing fleet of six P-3 Orions and two DA-20 Jet Falcons.

*^{P-8 Poseidon Cockpit. P-8 Aircraft at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. (Image Credit: Boeing)}*

The P-8 aircraft can be used for both military operations and humanitarian and rescue missions. The P-8 is a long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft that can also perform maritime and littoral operations.

Norway reached an agreement with the U.S. Navy for the P-8A Poseidon next-generation maritime surveillance aircraft for $1.17 billion in March 2017 and the first aircraft for Norway performed its maiden flight in August 2021.

The procurement of P-8 Aircraft by the NDMA marks the 142nd P-8 aircraft delivery to global customers. At present the aircraft is being operated by the U.S. Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Indian Navy. While, delivery to Germany, New Zealand, and South Korea is expected to take place within the next three years.