The Royal Air Force’s Poseidon Line Squadron (PLS) faced unique challenges during their deployment to Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC), the largest maritime training exercise in the Indo-Pacific region, according to a press release.
The exercise, held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, involved 25,000 personnel from 29 countries.
RIMPAC 2024 marked a significant milestone for the RAF’s Poseidon fleet, with a pair of Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft deployed halfway around the world for the longest duration to date. Engineering support for the two frontline Poseidon squadrons, the operational conversion unit, and the upcoming Wedgetail aircraft is provided by the PLS, a large squadron of engineers under the RAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Air Wing Support.
The RAF team shared a dispersal area with counterparts from the United States, Australia, India, and New Zealand. Unlike other nations that deployed a single aircraft, the RAF’s larger detachment enabled PLS engineers to support other nations with equipment and tooling.
Squadron Leader Reynolds, RAF Senior Engineering Officer on PLS, highlighted the collaborative nature of the deployment: “The engineering detachments are co-located in the same building, and it’s been really useful to meet people from the other detachments, some of whom I’ve spoken to on a six-weekly basis over the past two years but never met in person. There’s been a lot of information sharing, answering technical questions and getting second opinions on problems.”
For the first time, the 26-strong team of engineers deployed to Hawaii, along with logistics support specialists, also conducted depth maintenance on the aircraft, a task previously only undertaken at RAF Lossiemouth.
Squadron Leader Reynolds noted the achievement: “We’ve stretched ourselves to an extent to do this type of detachment so far away from home, but on this occasion, we’ve also managed to concurrently deliver operations in the UK which over a distance of several thousand miles is absolutely a first for Poseidon.”
The exercise saw the largest gathering of international P-8s, with the RAF detachment benefiting from its close proximity to other nations’ engineering teams, which facilitated information sharing and problem-solving.
At the conclusion of the exercise, the Poseidon aircraft will return to their base at RAF Lossiemouth, which houses the nine-strong Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft fleet.
How many were still operational in the UK?
In today’s climate we need more platforms and crew, it just is not going to happen.
ZP808 and ZP809 were participating in RIMPAC, ZP809 returned to UK Sunday morning.
ZP801/ZP803/ZP805 have all been active over UK the past week
And yet we’re up against an Admiralty that stated that all available SSNs were not at at Sea and tied up alongside because Ministers had not tasked them…
My Q. was do we have enough P8s to defend this country, however, thank you for your reply.
So they are available to surge in a crisis.
I don’t think all are either fully manned or without maintenance issues – iirc, about 3 could put to sea at the moment; appalling state of affairs.
Good work. We’re up against the trouble making alliance: Russia Iran North Korea china.
North Korea, Iran and China are Americas problem we need to offer support politically but its not our patch.
Another #45 term means that the CCP can do whatever they want as NATO will be busy Supporting Ukraine without the USA. . The only NATO member to invoke Article 5 was the USA (9/11) when everyone responded. So clearly NATO membership is the USA national interest. Congress passed a law to prevent an Executive Order to exit NATO. . NATO says the 2014 spending agreement is on track, so his alleged delinquency by Europe is just to trigger his supporters. Lies. . So it’s in the national interest of the free world and Ukraine that convicted fraudster and rapist… Read more »
Absolutely disagree with you 🙂
It is in the interests of international women’s rights and human rights that he never holds office again.
Hope you see my point.
My final point fully agrees with yours “that convicted fraudster and rapist #45 is defeated by US voters in November”
He’s both proven a rapist (NYC) and clearly states his disrespect of women generally, with repeal of Roe Vs Wade as his proud achievement against womens health, specifically. Given his despicable comments about his own daughter, it’s very clear that human rights are something that he doesn’t understand. That’s before Constitutional unfitness for Public Office (14.3)..
Just in the interests of truth. #45 is not a convicted rapist – that was not a criminal case but a civil suit (currently under appeal).
Oh, and the rape allegation was found ‘not proven’ and damages were awarded for a lesser allegation of indecent assault which is the subject of the appeal. Facts are beautiful things,
Actually if any of those countries don’t attack mainland USA, it is discretionary and other members can decide if they want to assist the US. So pretty much USA can get into a full shooting match in the Pacific and no other members need to get involved, and they haven’t broken the agreement. I agree Trump would be a nightmare but given the above the NATO agreement is outdated, and doesn’t recognise the reality of the 21st century. Imagine the NATO agreement had just been crafted and is put to a referendum your explaining it to a voter on the… Read more »
It’s clear from the Project 2025 plan for a fascist dictatorship that the Isolationist delusion has been deliberately fostered with the poorly educated who don’t understand geopolitics and the global economy. There is a deliberate misrepresentation that support to Ukraine is coming from the pocket of taxpayers when in reality all assets (weapons) have a service life, beyond which they must be safely destroyed, and replacements bought. That reality is part of the US acquisition approach and fully funded by Congress already. Further than the engineering reality there is a need to enhance weapons because the probable enemy has created… Read more »
How does any of the above convince a voter NATO is a good idea. Put yourself in the shoes of pro NATO canvesser your at the door and you need to convince this person to vote in a referendum for this fantastic new NATO agreement. I don’t think stating with Trump is a facist would be my open line. 🤔 Remember this person probably drives an American car consumes US energy and eats domestically produced food. Heck they probably never vacation outside the US. They see tge.most like threats as China and NK. Why is this new agreement so good… Read more »
Iran is very much our problem. We get significant energy imports from the region.
Only for the next 5 years. Energy network will be decarbonise and trains will be massively improved so people use public transport, well have cheap EV coming from China so if we stay out of it that can continue and we can dump a huge number of petrol and diesel cars. And remaining fossil fuel imports we can get from the US as its a net exporter and with companies like BP investing heavily in the Gulf of Mexico that’s going to continue. Well probably have to tolerate China shipping through Russia but we allow that today. So iran doesn’t… Read more »
What a Train load of Bolex. EV’s are not the future, nor are trains, if you think this Country can function competitively using Chinese supplied crap and everyone will be going to work on Trains, you are quite frankly deluded.
I take it your not a supporter of the current government’s plan then. Are you suggesting the government is pedalling snake oil?
Exactly, 99% of all the crap we import comes from there !
Iran supports Hamas who started the conflict with Israel then complains to the International Community when Israel retaliates in self defence. We should be four square behind Israel and not be taken in by the Hamas lies. It was they who started it on October 7th. Iran wants to start a war in the middle east to wipe Israel off the map. It is Iran along with the terrorist organisations of Hezbollah and Hamas who are the threat to world peace.
Disagree. If it kicks off between the PRC, South Korea; North Korea, Taiwan [pick your combination] it will soon enough involve Australia and New Zealand. Then the UK is in.
I doubt very much the defence review will be focused on anything non NATO. So North Atlantic and Europe is our patch and where we will focus. We’ll have a NATO test applied to all equipment and programs so anything that doesn’t pass with not be funded. The government’s line pre election is we’ll support allies like Australia technically and politically but as we wouldn’t expect Australian troops to deploy to Europe the reverse also applies. Don’t see any reason or language from tge government to suggest that will change.
You don’t attached sufficient value to the shared cultural values and history of involvement in wars in the 20th C.
If there is a shooting match initiated by the likely antagonists, and either of those two countries is an intended target, the UK will be there. Simple. Even if it is just a sub surface presence. The British public would expect and insist.
I do personally attach significant value to events of the last century. My father was in the RAF during WW2 so heard his first hand accounts and many of his colleagues were from common wealth countries. But I think cultural in the UK is changing . Recent surveys showed a significant number of people wouldn’t sign up to fight for this country, let alone one 1000s of miles away. You are to some degree shooting the messenger, it’s government policy we’re talking about not my opinion. If you want absolute clarity and you have a labour MP just right to… Read more »
Unfortunately I don’t share your confidence in a ‘cultural’ connection coming to Australia’s rescue in times of a pacific conflict. The shared culture and history is already weaker now than at anytime since WWII with around half (48%) of Australians with at least one parent born overseas, Australia now identifies as a multicultural nation not an Anglo-Saxon one. Britain itself is increasingly multicultural although less so than Australia with around 30% with a parent or grandparent born overseas. So I’m not so sure that the British public would feel compelled to insist on aiding a foreign country. Similarly if you… Read more »
Thank you for the stats and the revelation that Britain is more multicultural. How did I miss that. Nevertheless the countries of origin of Australia’s more recent immigrants will be as useful as a chocolate teapot in the event of a kick off. It’s the intergovernment connections that matter, stuff like the Five Eyes Agreement, that sort of thing. I also note the throw away condescending remarks in your final paragraph. I for one hope we don’t see a conflict which necessitates the active revival of established Commonwealth alliances, but I am in no doubt that the PRCis probably factoring… Read more »
Eh??
“I also note the throw away condescending remarks in your final paragraph.”
Not how I read that at all, Roger.
Well – that’s ok then
60,000 Australian soldiers are buried in Europe. Lest we forget.
Exactly. That’s what counts. Those shared experiences. Not what % of the current Australian population – or New Zealand population – that has rocked up on those countries shores from country X or Y.
Disagree there Expat.
Iran interdicts our fuel supplies
China can interdict our trade
North Korea just needs turning into a glass car park.
North Korea and Iran should have been dealt with a long time ago tbh. When Russia was more apathetic towards Iran and China was far weaker. Clinton should have never allowed China to join the WTO, which fuelled their massive economic growth, which has allowed them to upgrade their military.
No disagreement from this c/s.
Quick google search reveals India has 12 Poseidons. Great to be able to watch over the seas.
Likewise Australia has 12 P8s with 2 more on order and the first of four Triton long range UAV maritime patrol drones have arrived.
The Kiwis will ultimately also acquire 4 P8s.
But then both Australia and NZ have massive EEZs to patrol and commitments in the SSC.
You have to cut your cloth, what are we doing with all this? Now we have a Foreign Secretary who appears to be an avid air-miles collector I hate to think where our strategic over-reach will go next.