Germany Rejects Japanese P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Germany has left out the Japanese P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from short-list MPAs it may choose to replace old Orion P3-C planes.

Along with France, Germany planned to introduce next-generation patrol aircraft in 2035. The latter has chosen to retire P-3C Orion planes in 2025, ahead of the initial schedule of 2035, owing to high repair costs. It plans to procure stopgap patrol planes for use until 2035. A contest to buy stopgap planes was initiated in which Japanese Kawasaki P-1, Boeing P-8 Poseidon, and few other planes were pitted against each other.

Although Berlin was positive about the collaboration with Japan earlier, it is now showing a change in attitude. “The German side believes that it would take over five years for the P-1 to acquire type certification, questioning whether the aircraft could be ready by 2025,” an official familiar with the matter told The Japan Times.

This may put the Kawasaki P-1 at a disadvantage in a contest with rivals including Boeing. “The German ministry has listed several candidates, including the P-8, as the stopgap planes, but Japan's P-1 was not on the list,” sources said.

Japan’s P-1 has earlier lost to the cheaper P-8 in two older competitions launched by the United Kingdom and New Zealand.