Norway To Buy Five Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Planes

Norway has signed a deal with the United States on Wednesday to buy five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The contract was signed by US charge d'affaires James DeHart at the US Embassy in Oslo and Norway’s defense procurement chief Mette Sorfonden on March 29, the Nordic nation’s Defense Ministry announced wednesday.

The first P-8A Poseidon is scheduled to land in Norway in 2022, with the rest following by 2023.

The Boeing-built aircraft is designed for long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and reconnaissance missions.

In March 2014, the Norwegian Navy was looking at possible ways of leasing the aircraft from Boeing.The Navy had six P-3 Orions and was finding increasingly challenging to keep them operational.

In June 2016, Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang reported that the Norwegian government, as part of its long-term plan for the country's defense, will buy four new surveillance aircraft. In November 2016, it was reported that Norway plans to order five P-8s to replace its aging P-3s.

The US State department approved the sale in December 2016 with congressional approval pending. Finally Norway signed a contract for P-8A Poseidons Wednesday this week with deliveries from 2022 to 2023.