The Royal Norwegian Air Force received its final P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as it landed in Norway on May 27.
While ‘Munin’ – as the airframe has been officially named – is the final of five units Boeing will be delivering to Norway under a $1.2 billion contract from 2017, it is the third one to arrive in Norway.
The two remaining Poseidon submarine hunters will stay at US Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida and will arrive in Norway by 2023.
Vingtor, the first of five units was handed over in December 2021, while Viking was the first to arrive in Norway in February this year, followed by Ulabrand. Hugin and Vingtor are the two airframes remaining in Florida. All aircraft names have their origins in Norse mythology.
The five P-8As will replace the current fleet of six P-3 Orions and two DA-20 Jet Falcons Norway, with the new airframes expected to start taking over tasks from their predecessors in 2023.
The P-8A is a long-range anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare aircraft developed for the US Navy. As a derivative of a modified Boeing 737-800ERX commercial liner, it is militarized with maritime weapons, an open mission system architecture and commercial-like support for affordability. The aircraft is modified to include a bomb bay and pylons for weapons. It has two weapons stations on each wing and can carry sonobuoys. The Poseidon is also fitted with an in-flight refueling system.
All of Norway’s Poseidons will be operated by the 333 Squadron of the Royal Norwegian Air Force out of air station Evenes.
