MPA to plug Gap Left by Scheduled Retirement of ORION
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on 12 March of State Department approval for the sale of five P-8 aircraft and associated equipment and support in a sale estimated at $1.77 billion (€1.48 billion).
The German government has requested five P-8A aircraft, nine Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems 5 (MIDS JTRS 5); and 12 LN-251 with Embedded Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGls). Also included are commercial engines; Tactical Open Mission Software (TOMS); Electro-Optical (EO) and Infrared MX-20HD; AN/ AAQ-2(V) I Acoustic System; AN/APY-10 radar; ALQ-240 Electronic Support Measures; NexGen Missile Warning Sensors; AN/PRC-117G Manpack radios, including MPE-S type II with SAASM 3.7; Global Positioning Systems (GPS) 524D Precise Positioning System (PPS) for APY-10 Radar; AN/ALQ-213 Electronic Counter Measures; AN/ALE-47 Counter Measures Dispensing Systems; AN/UPX IFF Interrogators; APX-123A(C) IFF Digital Transponders; KIV-78 IFF Mode 5 Cryptographic Appliqués; CCM-701A Cryptographic Core Modules; KY-100M, KY-58, KYV-5 for HF-121C radios; AN/PYQ-10 V3 Simple Key Loaders (SKL) with KOV-21 Cryptographic Appliqués; aircraft and engine spares, and a wide array of support and training systems, documentation and engineering support services.
If the order is confirmed, Germany will become the third European operator of the type: the UK received its first POSEIDON aircraft in 2019 and Norway is scheduled to receive its first P-8A in 2022. The type will fill a critical gap for Germany, left by the scheduled retirement of the P-3CUP+ ORIONs, which have served since early 2016, when they were procured from the Netherlands to replace the ATLANTIQUE aircraft.
