The first P-8A Poseidon aircraft for Norway today rolled out of the paint shop in Renton, in Royal Norwegian Air Force livery. Norway intends to use the P-8As to replace its legacy fleet of P-3C Orion C planes. Norway is one of eight nations to have acquired the P-8A as their new multimission maritime patrol aircraft. Norway’s first P-8A aircraft – Vingtor – will now return to the factory floor to be prepared for flight testing. First flight is scheduled for later this month, and mission systems will be installed on the aircraft after that.
Recently, the air force revealed the names of its five P-8A Poseidon aircraft: Vingtor, Viking, Ulabrand, Hugin and Munin. The names are inspired by Norse mythology and continue a tradition of almost 80 years that started when the names Vingtor, Viking and Ulabrand were used on Norway’s PBY-5 Catalina maritime patrol aircraft in 1942. Since then, other maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force have carried those names. The country has operated the P-3C Orion C plane for over 40 years, which will be replaced by the Boeing P-8A Poseidon.
In June 2016, the Norwegian government would buy four new surveillance aircraft in its long-term defense plan; the P-8 was seen as the main option. In December 2016, the U.S. State Department approved the sale with congressional approval pending. On 29 March 2017, Norway signed a contract for five P-8As, to be delivered between 2022 and 2023. The sale includes five of the planes in addition to commercial engines, Tactical Open Mission Software, AN/APY-10 radars, missile warning sensors, and additional equipment. The deal is estimated to cost $1.75 billion.
The Boeing P-8 Poseidon (formerly Multimission Maritime Aircraft) is an American maritime patrol aircraft developed and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX. It was developed for the United States Navy (USN). The P-8 operates in the anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction roles. The P-8 is operated by the United States Navy, the Indian Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF).
