On January 11, UK received its final Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA), with ZP809 arriving at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, bringing the total number of Poseidons to 9 for the Royal Air Force 

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ZP809 arriving at RAF Lossiemouth (Picture source: RAF)

The P-8 is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. In addition, the P-8 performs humanitarian and search and rescue missions around the globe.

The Poseidon is already providing maritime patrol capabilities and working side-by-side with the Royal Navy to secure the seas around the UK and abroad. The Poseidon’s comprehensive mission system features an APY-10 radar with modes for high-resolution mapping, an acoustic sensor system, including passive and multi-static sonobuoys, electro-optical/IR turret and electronic support measures (ESM). This equipment delivers comprehensive search and tracking capability, while the aircraft’s weapons system includes torpedoes for engaging sub-surface targets.

The UK Government has invested £470m overall in RAF Lossiemouth, which will future-proof Quick Reaction Alert and Maritime Patrol operations for many years to come (Picture source: RAF)