The US Navy has awarded Boeing a production contract for five P-8A Poseidon aircraft for Germany with the first deliveries scheduled to begin in 2024 in replacement of its current P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

The P-8A is currently deployed around the world with more than 135 aircraft in service and over 350,000 collective flight hours. The aircraft will provide Germany with anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities, in addition to fulfilling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and search and rescue roles.

In a September 28 release Michael Haidinger, president, Boeing Germany, Central & Eastern Europe, Benelux and Nordics, said: “Together with the German Navy, the Federal Ministry of Defence and local industry, we will ensure maximum operational availability that will allow the German Navy to meet the full range of its maritime challenges.”

In June this year Boeing signed agreements with ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik and Lufthansa Technik AG to collaborate in systems integration, training, and sustainment work. German companies that currently supply parts for the P-8A include Aircraft Philipp Group, Aljo Aluminium-Bau Jonuscheit and Nord-Micro.

Germany is the eighth nation to have acquired the P-8A, joining the US, Australia, India, the UK, Norway, Korea and New Zealand.