Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

: Posted On Thursday, 04 April 2013 08:33

Naval Forces News - Japan

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force receives first two Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) received the first two of a fleet of next generation P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft on Tuesday, with the planes scheduled to be deployed at Atsugi Air Base in Kanagawa Prefecture later this month, local media reported.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Picutre: Kawasaki Heavy Industries

The official delivery ceremony held earlier in the day in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan, heralds the beginning of the JMSDF's plans to acquire seven of the high-tech planes to be deployed by March 2014 and a total of 70 P-1s in the long-run, officials said.

The P-1s, designed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, will replace the current over 80 aging P-3 Orion patrol planes used by the JMSDF.

The new planes will undergo two years of operation flight testing, before being fully deployed on patrol duties, officials said.

The P-1 development started in 2001 and planed to finish in March 2012. The process was delayed for one year due to cracks found in its wings and bodies.

Kawasaki P-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft
Picutre: Kawasaki Heavy Industries

As the successor to the P-3C, the P-1 is used for prolonged, extensive patrols in the sea areas surrounding Japan.

The P-1 is a totally new aircraft that was developed and manufactured domestically, including the airframe, the engines and the patrol systems.

With its latest technologies, the P-1 flies faster and has a greater range and useful load than the P-3C, enabling it to patrol the extensive sea areas surrounding Japan for many hours.