Suche
Mein Konto
Bundeswehr strengthens navy with new giant: P-8A Poseidon arrived!
Oldenburg will receive the P-8A Poseidon, the Bundeswehr's largest combat aircraft, for submarine hunting and surveillance on November 5th, 2025.
Bundeswehr strengthens navy with new giant: P-8A Poseidon arrived!
On November 5, 2025, the time had come: the first of a total of eight new P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft and submarine fighter aircraft landed at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. The reception was celebratory, with Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) and Vice Admiral Axel Deertz at the helm. This moment marks a significant step for the German Navy and Bundeswehr as the Poseidon replaces the aging P-3C Orion, which has reached the end of its useful life.
The P-8A Poseidon, which is based on the Boeing 737 airliner, is the Bundeswehr's largest combat aircraft with a length of almost 40 meters and a wingspan of 38 meters. The new flagship will also be stationed at Nordholz Air Base in the Cuxhaven district and will play a central role in monitoring large sea areas and locating and combating submarines. It works closely with British maritime patrol aircraft to monitor the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea and to protect critical infrastructure, as reported by [ndr.de](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/niedersachsen/oldenburg_ostfriesland/bundeswehr-bekommen-verstaerkung-groesstes-neues-kampf Flugzeug-in-deutschland,marineflieger-100.html).
Technological innovations and capabilities
But what makes the P-8A Poseidon so special? It is equipped with the latest sensor technology and has core capabilities in anti-submarine warfare. Equipped with sonar buoys, the state-of-the-art Mark 54 torpedo and various radar systems, it can not only detect submarines, but also engage maritime targets with guided missiles. It transmits this information in almost real time, which creates the possibility of a quick reaction, explains esut.de.
Additionally, the sensor system includes acoustic processing as well as inverse synthetic aperture (ISAR) and synthetic aperture (SAR) radar functions. These advanced technologies also allow optical reconnaissance with high-resolution cameras and infrared sensors. Thus, the P-8A Poseidon becomes not only a surveillance helicopter, but also a rescue helicopter in sea and overland areas.
A look into the future
The order for the P-8A Poseidon is part of a comprehensive Bundeswehr plan that was launched in 2021 and is scheduled to run until 2028. In total, Germany will procure eight of these modern aircraft, with a final delivery in 2023. The Bundeswehr has already taken delivery of the first maritime patrol aircraft P-8A from Boeing in Seattle, which illustrates the cooperation with the USA under the “Foreign Military Sales” program, it is reported theaviationist.com.
But the P-8A Poseidon is not the final solution. It will only be used until the Franco-German Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS) comes into service in 2035. Nevertheless, it makes a significant contribution to strengthening the operational capability of the Bundeswehr and NATO cooperation, especially in view of the complex security policy situation in Europe.
In addition, the Bundeswehr, together with the Netherlands, is planning to purchase 222 wheeled armored vehicles worth three billion euros. The course has been set for a modern, powerful force, and the P-8A Poseidon provides naval aviators with the innovative technologies they need in both a national and international context.