Overview
- The aircraft landed in Berlin for handover, with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius welcoming the jet and crew.
- Germany ordered eight Poseidons in 2021 for €3.1 billion, with stepwise deliveries scheduled through 2028.
- The fleet will be based at Nordholz near Cuxhaven, with operations planned from Lossiemouth in Scotland to extend coverage of the North Atlantic.
- The P-8A conducts wide-area maritime surveillance, deploys up to 129 sonobuoys, flies at very low altitude, and can strike submarines with lightweight torpedoes or depth charges.
- Officials emphasize interoperability through joint training, maintenance, and data integration with the U.S., U.K., Norway, and Australia to bolster NATO maritime readiness.