Bundeswehr welcomes P-8A Poseidon: New era of submarine hunting in Cuxhaven!

Bundeswehr welcomes P-8A Poseidon: New era of submarine hunting in Cuxhaven!

Maritime security in northern Germany is getting a new coat of paint with the arrival of the Bundeswehr's first P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. Today, November 23, 2025, the state-of-the-art aircraft was welcomed in Cuxhaven. This aircraft, a converted Boeing 737, is stationed by the naval aviation squadron at Nordholz Air Base and is the largest fighter jet the German military has ever owned. The P-8A is not only a technical masterpiece, but also an important building block for security policy in the region.

With a length of 40 meters and a wingspan of 38 meters, the P-8A Poseidon will primarily hunt submarines and monitor sea lanes. The target areas are the North Sea, the North Atlantic and, in the future, the Baltic Sea. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has emphasized the importance of being present in security-sensitive areas like these. The technology of the new aircraft is state-of-the-art: Equipped with a multi-purpose radar, sonar buoys and optical and infrared sensors, the P-8A can transmit data to operations centers in real time.

Technical refinements and possible uses

A real highlight are the possible uses of the P-8A: it can not only carry torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, but can also search for enemy submarines. Droppable sonar buoys enable the location of underwater targets. The aircraft has space for up to five MK-54 torpedoes, which are 2.7 meters long and weigh 300 kilograms. The Poseidon can also carry four AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles and has a range of more than 7,000 kilometers.

The Bundeswehr has ordered a total of eight machines for around 3.1 billion euros. All P-8A Poseidons should be ready in Germany by 2028. This happens just four years after the order was placed, which underlines rapid participation in this future-oriented project. With this new acquisition, Germany is replacing the outdated P-3C Orion, which has been in service for over 40 years.

Collaboration with Great Britain

Another important aspect is increased cooperation with Great Britain. How on daily news Reportedly, the two countries are planning joint patrol flights in the North Atlantic. These will be launched from the Scottish military base at Lossiemouth and will specifically monitor the activities of Russian submarines. This cooperation is expected to play an important role in the recently signed Trinity House Agreement, which aims to deepen cooperation on security issues.

These new capabilities in maritime reconnaissance and joint patrolling are of growing importance - especially after the attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022, which put Europe on alert. At a time when Europe is considered to be inadequately protected, this partnership gains considerable weight.

The Bremen region and the entire northwest can expect regular deployments of the P-8A Poseidon, which not only increases maritime security but could also give new impetus to the local economy. With a “good hand” in modern warfare, the Bundeswehr makes a decisive contribution to protecting critical infrastructure while at the same time maintaining a geopolitical focus on the North Atlantic.