TSAMTO, March 23. New Zealand Defense Minister Andrew Little announced the arrival in the country of the second (out of four ordered) P-8A Poseidon Base Patrol aircraft (BPA).
The plane landed on March 21 at the New Zealand Air Force base "Ohakea".
As reported by TSAMTO, the US State Department approved the delivery of 4 P-8A Poseidon aircraft to New Zealand under the Foreign Military Sales program, as well as related equipment and services in April 2017. The total cost of the sale may amount to $1.46 billion.
In July 2018, the New Zealand government officially announced its decision to purchase 4 P-8A Poseidon in the United States to replace 6 obsolete P-3K2 Orion BPA aircraft that have been in operation since 1966.
The ordered P-8A are designed to patrol the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone of the country, conduct reconnaissance and ensure safety at sea, protect resources, support humanitarian and search and rescue operations, respond to natural disasters in New Zealand, the Pacific Ocean and other regions, including Antarctica.
The aircraft will be used both in the interests of the Ministry of Defense and other government agencies, including the Ministry of Extractive Industries, Customs, Police and the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources of New Zealand.
The total cost of the new P-8A, the training system, and the creation of the necessary infrastructure is estimated at 2.346 billion. novoz. (about 1.6 billion US dollars). The project, in particular, includes the supply of two flight simulators, the construction of two hangars, a control center, storage facilities, training and maintenance facilities.
In February 2019, the US Navy signed a contract with Boeing worth $ 428.896 million for the supply of equipment with long production times for the production of 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft under the 11th option (Lot 11) to the base contract, including four P-8A for the New Zealand Air Force. Flight tests of the first New Zealand aircraft began in August 2022. He arrived at the Ohakea Air Base in December 2022. The remaining planes are expected to arrive by mid-2023.
