New Zeland has officially signed for its new fleet of four P-8 Posiedon aircraft from Boeing. To replace its aging fleet of six P-3K2 Orions. The deal, signed more than a year ago, has finally been closed to modernize the Royal New Zealand Air Force, charged with maritime patrol in an increasingly contested Pacific.
The P-8 operates in the anti-submarine warfare(ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance(ISR) roles. It is armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons, can drop and monitor sonobuoys, and can operate in conjunction with other assets, including the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
The P-8 is operated by the United States Navy, the Indian Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. It has also been ordered by the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the Republic of Korea Navy, and the German Navy. (Wiki)
