The U.S. military’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Pentagon’s top arms broker, issued a press release on March 12, 2021, that announced that the State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Germany of P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
The U.S. State Department has cleared a possible $1.77 billion foreign military sale of five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Germany.
According to the DSCA, the complete package includes Multifunctional Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems 5 (MIDS JTRS 5); LN-251 with Embedded Global Positioning Systems (GPS)/Inertial Navigations Systems (EGls).
It is also important to note that DSCA said that this proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally which is an important force for political and economic stability in Europe.
“The proposed sale will improve Germany’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing critical capabilities to coalition maritime operations. Germany currently operates the Lockheed P-3C Orion, but that aircraft is reaching end-of-life and will retire in 2024,” DSCA said in its announcement. ” Germany plans to replace it with the P-8A Poseidon. The proposed sale will allow Germany to modernize and sustain its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) capability for the next 30 years. Germany will have no difficulty transitioning its MSA force to P-8 and absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.”
The P-8A Poseidon is the newest Maritime Patrol Aircraft and is equipped with the latest technology and sensors which provide a significant upgrade to anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities over the older P-3 Orion.
The P-8A is built specifically as a military aircraft. It is based on the proven commercial designs of Boeing’s 737-800 fuselage, but has been substantially modified to include:
- a weapons bay
- underwing and under-fuselage hard points for weapons,
- increased strengthening for low level (down to 200ft) operations and high angle turns.
The P-8A aircraft has an extensive communications system including radios and data links across VHF, UHF, HF and SATCOM.