The first of twelve Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft has been unveiled
by Boeing at a roll-out ceremony in Seattle, Washington State, USA on
September 27. Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Leo Davies, attended the
ceremony and accepted into service the Royal Australian Air Force’s
newest aircraft.
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“It
is a privilege to accept the first Australian P-8A Poseidon aircraft,
said CAF AIRMSHL Davies.
“The P-8A is the latest in a pedigree of Boeing aircraft that
have provided important and significant operational capability to Australia.
This history includes the C-17A Globemaster, E-7A Wedgetail, F/A-18
Classic Hornet, F/A-18F Super Hornet, Helicopter Aircrew Training System
and in the near future E/A-18G Growler.” CAF said.
Built from the ground up as a military aircraft, the P-8A is based on
the proven commercial designs of Boeing’s 737-800 fuselage, but
is substantially structurally modified to include a weapons bay, under
wing and under fuselage hard points for weapons, as well as increased
strengthening to allow for continued low level operations and high angle
of bank turns.
Director Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Response
Transition Office, GPCAPT Roger McCutcheon, said the P-8A was a fundamental
element of Australia’s future maritime patrol and response strategy
in replacing the current AP-3C Orion fleet - due for withdrawal in 2018-19.
“Over the next three years the P-8A willreplace our current fleet
of AP-3C Orion aircraft currently based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, said
GPCAPT McCutcheon.
The first aircraft will arrive in Australia on 15 November 2016, with
the remaining 11 aircraft to be delivered by March 2020.”
Air Force aircrew and maintenance personnel have been busy training
for the arrival of the P-8A since early 2015 - working side by side
with the US Navy at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The first
P-8A Australian pilot flew a four-hour sortie around the Air Station
on 14 April 2015.
CAF AIRMSHL Davies said that close cooperation with the US Navy to develop
mission, system and training requirements for the P-8A was crucial and
has helped strengthen an already close relationship.
“Speaking to my team today, it is obvious they have been the recipients
of some of the best training in the world from the US Navy,” said
CAF AIRMSHL Davies.
“The bilateral cooperative program for the P-8A between Australia
and the United States has been very successful. It is now the model
to which our other Air Force projects must aspire.”
“The passion, pride and dedication of the all the Boeing team
is evident in every aircraft produced,said CAF AIRMSHL Davies.
“I have no doubt that the aircraft Boeing has proudly built here
today, along with the collaborative input from both Australia and the
United States, will serve our nation with consummate success. I congratulate
Boeing on this significant occasionand I thank you for all for your
work.”
For Boeing Mechanic Paul Lingenfelter - a Washington State native whose
work on Sonobouy structure rake installations directly resulted in zero
manufacturing defects and improved time management for the P-8 program
- CAF AIRMSHL Davieshad a more personal message.
“Paul you are a great asset to the P-8A program and I thank you
for your work, but sorry mate - your aircraft is coming with me.” |
