Photo: Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force’s Poseidon (P-8A) just got a huge, $319 million (£230 million) boost, because it’s just that awesome. After all, there’s no other aircraft that can track and hunt-down submarines the way Poseidon does. Under the new contract signed with Boeing Defense UK (BDUK), RAF’s submarine-hunter fleet will be advanced with additional support and training.
Nine Poseidon aircraft have been previously ordered from Boeing. Five of them (with some cool names, such as “Pride of Moray” or “Spirit of Reykjavik”) are already in service, while the other 4 are expected to arrive by the end of this year. This new contract, which extends over a period of 5 years, is meant to provide a complex training package for the Poseidon crews, as well as support and personnel for the aircraft maintenance.
Based on the Boeing 737-800, this submarine-hunter is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, meaning that is can go from surveillance operations and tracking any potentially dangerous submarine, to life-saving search and rescue missions. You could say it has a warrior side and a savior side, which come up whenever it’s needed, while the aircraft is patrolling in UK waters and keeping them safe.
A force to be reckoned with, when it comes to anti-submarine warfare, RAF’s Poseidon is equipped with an APY-10 radar for high-resolution mapping, and an acoustic sensor system (among others), which give it outstanding search and tracking capabilities. Flying at a maximum speed of 490 knots (907 kph), this patrol aircraft watches over the seas like a hawk.
And, when it does track down those submarines, you can bet that that will be the last sight of them. With its advanced weapon system, including torpedoes, Poseidon is ready to destroy all sub-surface targets.
Such a fierce aircraft deserves an equally-outstanding base. Opened just last year, the new facility at RAF Lossiemouth (one of the Quick Reaction Alert/QRA stations in Scotland), was the result of $138 million (£100 million) investment. This is the home of RAF’s Poseidon fleet, and the place where the new contract with Boeing will create over 150 jobs.
Based on the Boeing 737-800, this submarine-hunter is a multi-role maritime patrol aircraft, meaning that is can go from surveillance operations and tracking any potentially dangerous submarine, to life-saving search and rescue missions. You could say it has a warrior side and a savior side, which come up whenever it’s needed, while the aircraft is patrolling in UK waters and keeping them safe.
A force to be reckoned with, when it comes to anti-submarine warfare, RAF’s Poseidon is equipped with an APY-10 radar for high-resolution mapping, and an acoustic sensor system (among others), which give it outstanding search and tracking capabilities. Flying at a maximum speed of 490 knots (907 kph), this patrol aircraft watches over the seas like a hawk.
And, when it does track down those submarines, you can bet that that will be the last sight of them. With its advanced weapon system, including torpedoes, Poseidon is ready to destroy all sub-surface targets.
Such a fierce aircraft deserves an equally-outstanding base. Opened just last year, the new facility at RAF Lossiemouth (one of the Quick Reaction Alert/QRA stations in Scotland), was the result of $138 million (£100 million) investment. This is the home of RAF’s Poseidon fleet, and the place where the new contract with Boeing will create over 150 jobs.
Google News