Norway to acquire five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft

The Norwegian ministry of defense announced that it plans to replace its ageing fleet of nine maritime reconnaissance aircraft with five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA).

Under a project that is expected to cost 9,825 million Norwegian Krone (approx. EUR 1,1 billion) including the acquisition of sensors, anti-submarine weapons and supporting equipment, Norway is replacing the current six P-3 Orion and three DA-20 Jet Falcon aircraft.

The ministry said the acquisition would be completed under the U.S. foreign military sales program and is expected to take place between 2021-2022.

The P-8A is a derivative of a modified Boeing 737-800ERX airliner, featuring a high-bypass turbo fan jet engine with a fully connected, open architecture mission system. The P-8A Poseidon is 39.5 metres long, with a maximum takeoff weight of 85,820kg and a wingspan of 37.6m.