On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, the press service of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) unveiled the first of eight ordered Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, which has just received its final livery for the new operator.
Photos: Marian Lockhart, Boeing
The aircraft, with serial number 170528 and registration 63+01, has received its final colors of the German Naval Aviation (Deutsche Marine) at Boeing’s paint facility in Renton, near Seattle, Washington. Now, ground tests of the propulsion system and all onboard systems, including hydraulics, will be conducted before the installation of specialized equipment (for reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare) by Boeing Defense, Space & Security and the planned test flight. The aircraft is scheduled to be handed over to the German side in August of this year, which is a significant delay compared to the original plan set for October 2024.
Germany has ordered eight aircraft of this type in two batches: five for 1.77 billion USD and three for just under 1.1 billion EUR. The aircraft will be assigned to the 3d Naval Air Wing (Marinefliegergeschwader 3) “Graf Zeppelin“, based at Fliegerhorst Nordholz Air Base in Lower Saxony. Their armament will include, among other things, 324-mm Mark 54 LWT (Lightweight Torpedo) anti-submarine torpedoes.
On June 17, 2021, Boeing reached an agreement with German aerospace companies ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik and Lufthansa Technik regarding the operational support of Germany’s future P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
On May 25, 2023, the German Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology, and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a contract worth approximately 180 million EUR with Boeing for the purchase of a Weapon System Trainer simulator for these aircraft.
According to the latest information from October of last year, the German P-8A aircraft will periodically operate from RAF Lossiemouth, where they will cooperate with British Poseidon MRA Mk1 aircraft.
On November 21, 2024, Boeing signed a 1.677 billion USD production contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for the delivery of seven P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the U.S. Navy and export customers: Germany and Canada (which ordered a total of 16 units). In the case of Berlin, this includes the last three aircraft.
The new German aircraft will replace eight Lockheed P-3C CUP+ Orion aircraft (six of which have already been sold to Portugal, while the remaining ones are awaiting retirement). Previously, their Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) modernization program was canceled, and the idea of a joint next-generation platform purchase with France, known as MAWS (Maritime Airborne Warfare System), was abandoned. Paris is now pursuing its own PATMAR program, with the Airbus A321 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft) as the chosen platform.
Boeing has received orders for 178 Poseidon aircraft, which have been delivered not only to the U.S. Navy and the aforementioned countries but also to Australia (12 units), India (a modified P-8I Neptune; 12 delivered + 6 ordered), the United Kingdom (as Poseidon MRA Mk1; 9 units), Norway (5 units), New Zealand (4 units), and South Korea (3 out of 6 ordered have been delivered). Additionally, Saudi Arabia has previously expressed interest in purchasing the aircraft, and in recent months, the Netherlands and Denmark have also shown interest.
🇩🇪 The 1st German "Poseidon"
Boeing has released photographs and a video showing the first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (reg. 63+01) for the German Navy.#Germany #Boeing #Defence pic.twitter.com/BeVnNJPSIO
— 𝗡𝗢𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗦 (@NoiseAlerts) February 5, 2025
