RNZAF P-8 Poseidon fleet becomes operational
The Royal New Zealand Air Force's fourth and final Boeing P-8A Poseidon has joined No. 5 Squadron’s fleet, this comes just as the fleet finally becomes operational from RNZAF Base Ohakea.
Image: Noah Stohr-Waldren
The RNZAF getting the full fleet mission-ready only seven months after the first P-8 landed at RNZAF Base Ohakea is a huge testament to the extraordinary work put in by the squadron.
The first of the four P-8A Poseidon aircraft took to the skies in the United States on August 17th 2022, completing a test flight ahead of systems fitout. Then first aircraft arrived at Ohakea on 12 December and the fleet (three at the time) became operational on 1 July. The fourth and final P-8A later touched down at Ohakea on the 17th of July, after a flight from the Boeing Company’s workshop in the United States.
The P-8A aircraft are operated by No. 5 Squadron and replace the six Lockheed P-3K2 Orions, which served in New Zealand for 57 years.
Image: Reuben Morrison
After four years of preparing to operate and maintain the new Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8 Poseidon aircraft, the new capability is formally released on July 1st and becomes available for operational tasking.
“The new fleet’s introduction into service marks the beginning of a new era”
“New Zealand’s maritime security is central to our wider security. The Poseidon represents the most recent addition to a lineage of aircraft dating back to the early days of the RNZAF. These aircraft have consistently fulfilled a range of aerial roles, including safeguarding our maritime resources, protecting our region from military threats, bolstering regional resilience, countering transnational criminal activities, and, of course, conducting critical search and rescue operations as well as humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions.
Within the Poseidon fleet, we have now adopted the contemporary benchmark in technology to execute these pivotal tasks. The Poseidon possesses the expansive versatility and the substantial capability necessary for the challenges presented by today's intricate security landscape," he affirmed.
Image: @daviationz via Instagram
Wing Commander Mark Whiteside, the Commanding Officer of No. 5 Squadron, emphasized that reaching operational readiness was the result of years of dedicated efforts involving a diverse group of individuals.
Source: New Zealand Defence Force
