TSAMTO, September 23. The Australian Air Force Command has completed a complex of works on the modernization of the fleet of P-8A Poseidon base patrol aircraft.
According to the Australian Ministry of Defense, the project was implemented within 12 months by Boeing Defense Australia, Airbus Australia Pacific, the 92nd Air Wing of the Australian Air Force and the Office for the Implementation of Surveillance and Response Systems Programs.
The last aircraft to undergo modernization was the P-8A with the registration number A47-006. According to the commander of the 92nd Air Wing of the Australian Air Force, Captain John Grime, the P-8A fleet now meets the requirements of tomorrow and is ready for the upcoming technical upgrades.
The modification included the modernization of electrical wiring to expand and improve the package of combat systems installed on aircraft and increase interoperability, as well as the creation of networks for air-to-air, air-to-ship and air-to-ground communication in support of interspecific operations.
As reported by TSAMTO, since 2014, the Australian government has purchased 14 P-8A Poseidon BPA aircraft to replace the outdated AP-3C Orion, which is planned to be decommissioned in 2023. According to the Defense White Paper published in February 2016, by the end of the 2020s, the total number of P-8A Poseidon in the Australian Navy should be 15 units. When performing tasks, the P-8A Poseidon will interact with the MQ-4C Triton UAV.
The first P-8A was transferred to the Ministry of Defense of Australia on September 27, 2016 and arrived in Australia on November 16, 2016. The 12th P-8A Poseidon was delivered in December 2019. The aircraft are part of the 11th and 292nd Air Squadrons stationed at the air base in Edinburgh. The Australian Defense Ministry announced the acquisition of the 13th and 14th aircraft in December 2020. The contract with Boeing providing for their delivery was signed in March 2021.
