P-8A Poseidon will fly on intelligence
missions over areas where Russia’s submarine fleet is more and more active.
By
November
26, 2016
“The introduction of Poseidon aircrafts is crucial for Norway to
maintin a leading position and expertise on strategic issues in northern
areas,” says Minister of Defence Ine Eriksen Søreide in a statement posted on
the Ministry’s portal.
For Norway, the top-modern Boeing aircrafts will cost nearly 10
billion kroner (€1,1 billion). That sum does not include the Intelligence
equipment to be places onboard.
Deliveries are expected for 2021 and 2022.
Introduced in 2013, the P8-A Poseidon is a modified version of
the Boeing 737-800 originally developed for the United States Navy. Australia
and India have already the aircraft in operation, while the United Kingdom has
ordered 9 planes.
Norway’s ageing fleet of six P-3 Orion with the 333 Squadron at
Andøya airport north of the Arctic Circle is essential for intelligence
gathering along the coast of Norway and in the Barents Sea where Norway borders
Russia to the east. The aircrafts, however, are getting old. The two oldest
were delivered in 1968 and 1969 while the four other were delivered in 1988 and
1989.
The Russian Northern fleet’s submarine bases are all situated
along the ice-free coast of the Kola Peninsula and submarines on voyages to the
North Atlantic have to sail north of mainland Norway.
Also, the aircrafts support civilian surveillance in
cooperation with the Coast Guard, assist in search- and rescue operations
and play a vital role in environmental monitoring of both the Norwegian Sea and
Barents Sea.
All five new maritime surveillance aircrafts
will all be based at Evenes airport in Troms, northern Norway.
Original post: thebarentsobserver.com
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