Australia To Operate P-8A Poseidon Aircraft After US, India

Australia will become the third country in the world after the US and India to operate Boeing's P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. 

The Australian government has approved the acquisition of eight Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft estimated worth $3.6 billion, to boost its ability to monitor its maritime capabilities.

The planes are expected to replace the Royal Australian Air Force’s four decade old AP-3C Orions, and will be supplemented with a fleet of MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance superdrones.

The first aircraft will be delivered in 2017, with all eight aircraft fully operational by 2021. The Government has also approved an option for a further four aircraft subject to the outcomes of the Defence White Paper review.

India has ordered 12 P-8I Neptune aircraft, a variant of the Poseidon and has options for four more that it plans to exercise once the first batch have been delivered next year.

The P-8A is a potent and highly versatile aircraft. As well as patrolling Australia’s maritime approaches it can conduct search and rescue, anti-submarine and maritime strike missions using torpedoes and Harpoon missiles.