Further Installation and Testing Prior to Delivery Before Year-End

The first of five Boeing P-8A POSEIDON maritime patrol aircraft destined for Norway conducted its maiden flight in Washington state on 9 August, Boeing has announced.

The aircraft will now move into the Installation and Checkout facility, where mission systems will be installed and additional testing will take place before final delivery to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) later this year.

“The P-8 is a capability that will help Norway improve anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue missions, in addition to fostering valuable regional collaboration and interoperability with NATO nations,” commented Christian Thomsen, P-8 Europe Program Manager.

The five P-8As will eventually replace Norway’s current fleet of six P-3 ORIONs and three DA-20 JET FALCONs. The Royal Norwegian Air Force currently operates its P-3s from Andoya Air Station. With the introduction of the P-8s, flight operations will move to new facilities at Evenes Air Station.

To date, Boeing has delivered 136 P-8 aircraft to the US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Indian Navy and Britain’s Royal Air Force. Other nations that have selected the aircraft include Germany, Korea and New Zealand.