A Poseidon P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth has conducted training with the United States Navy and the Icelandic Coast Guard flying from Keflavik Iceland.
The Poseidon from 120 Squadron, a part of the RAF Poseidon Force, conducted training as part of Exercise Icelandic Falcon.
According to the RAF in a news release:
“Also taking part was a second P8 flown by the US Navy’s Patrol Squadron 9 (VP-9), the ‘Golden Eagles’. This squadron is based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington on the US west coast.
The RAF objective of the exercise was to continue the development of overseas training by the Poseidon Force as they approach Full Operating Capability. The deployment was also part of the Force’s Agile Combat Employment Capability development. This was demonstrated by the aircraft deploying with 13 aircrew to conduct the sorties and eight ground engineers to maintain and prepare the aircraft. Another element of the exercise was to conduct co-operative Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training with the US Navy who were flying a second Poseidon.”
The Poseidon sorties were controlled from the Icelandic Coast Guard operated Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) at Keflavik. This CRC is integrated into the wider NATO Air defence system.
Squadron Leader ‘Barbs’ Barber, RAF Detachment Commander, was quoted as saying:
“Ex Icelandic Falcon is a high value training event providing the CXX Squadron crew the opportunity to work closely with our Allies in the North Atlantic theatre. We were excellently hosted by the Icelandic Coast Guard and worked closely with the US Navy to conduct Anti-Submarine Warfare training missions to improve our interoperability and ability to operate in cold climates. The RAF Poseidon engineering team did a great job in ensuring the jet performed as expected throughout the detachment and the air and ground crews gained a huge amount of experience from this deployment.”
Canada has just ordered 14…… Germany 3….. Canada has an enormous area of the Arctic to cover…. I hope all goes well with the RAF in Iceland.
They are needed for Canada.
Yes, I Know… Canada has a massive Artic area to cover.
That and North Atlantic/Pacific patrol. The option for 2 more P-8s does not look like it will be exercised.
Russian sub activity in the North Atlantic has increased as of late and Canada’s P-3s are regularly there.
But they’ll all be based in the south (CFB Comox and Shearwater) far far away from the vast arctic swathes and the foreign incursions where they’re needed the most with 5 hour transit time to be on station.
Yes, Comox and Greenwood will be the home for most of them.
CFB Cold Lake and Goose Bay could possibly base the rest for arctic patrols. Remains to be seen.
Have you read today’s post about the adequacy of the RNs capabilities on Navy Lookout today?
https://www.navylookout.com/the-royal-navys-future-vision-for-the-underwater-battlespace/
According to your profile, you last commented on here 4 years ago. Can I ask why you ask this question which is rather random ?
🤔
The RAF has been asking for another 3 aircraft for several years, but no chance given the black hole in the equipment budget. Incidentally, the UK gave £2.3 billion in foreign aid to India between 2016 and 2021, this almost exactly matches the cost of the 12 P-8I’s they’ve purchased from Boeing, the last being delivered in December 2021.
I believe they’ve only ordered 9. 16 was the recommended number BEFORE the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022. It would seem, given the circumstances, that number would increase. But one could say that about every single platform operated by the UK. Great kit, just not nearly enough of anything.
I think 12 is the number India have ordered.
India has 12 P-8I in service. They wanted about 10 more but even India has budget constraints and they are instead buying 15 of the cheaper Airbus C295 MPA.
The UK has 9 P-8A. 12 was the operational requirement c.2012 – the same number as the cancelled Nimrod MRA4. The RAF, supported by the RN, has been lobbying hard for the additional 3 aircraft before Boeing closes the production line – although this has regularly moved right due to new orders.
he was referring to the UK order.
The UK shouldn’t be donating foreign aid to any country that has a GDP > 50% of our own.
India’s GDP 2023 is now greater than UK.
This kind of comparison is not helpful and appeals to a curious parochialism. The distance to the moon is what, 10 times the circumference of the earth… those are just disparate facts are not dependent on each other. Whether India should have foreign aid is an interesting question, but has nothing directly to do with defence…. why not point out the amount spent on education and the NHS? After all there’s no point in education or health if the country is undefended! Your comment is what is called populist logic, ie not logical at all, and far from being “incidental”,… Read more »
Once a preacher, always a Preacher !!!!😂
Testify!!!
I actually think that its very relevant that the UK has been funding for many decades via Overseas Development Aid (ODA) water, health, education, agriculture and similar schemes in India that cost several £ hundred millions a year. This has allowed the Indian government to prioritise spending on aircraft carriers, fighter jets, nuclear weapons, high speed rail links, a space programme that’s expected to launch Indian’s in to orbit this year, etc, etc. It seems that the UK government has finally realised that it’s being taken advantage of, and ODA to India will be near zero this year, although many… Read more »
Thanks,Richard, I actually agree with you. But this post was about the number of Poseidon the RAF might need, not the IAF! The point I’m making is about not confusing arguments. A nation that has a space programme might not be the top of my list when I look round the world for candidates for aid. My main point, however, is that when we put two similar looking figures together we can easily start making the case that they are causally linked. There is no direct link between aid and the amount spent on defence. We could, as a rich… Read more »
We need more. Another 4-5 would be an adequate force level in support of NATO and our allies.
We need more everything mate….