The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Sub-hunter handed over
● Ministry of Defence receives first of nine world-class spy planes
The first of a fleet of new submarinehunting spy planes destined for the north has been officially handed over to the RAF.
Nine of the P-8 Poseidon aircraft, worth a combined £3 billion, are due to start arriving at RAF Lossiemouth from early next year to maintain a vigil over the North Atlantic.
Yesterday the first of the planes, christened the Pride of Moray, was handed over to the Ministry of Defence after completing a series of test flights.
The new planes sparked a £460 million investment in the infrastructure at RAF
Lossiemouth to prepare the base for about 700 additional personnel.
And military top brass believe the jets will cement the station’s importance on the country’s front line of defence.
Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, chief of the air staff, said: “Poseidon is a game-changing maritime patrol aircraft able to detect, track and, if necessary, destroy the most advanced submarines in the world today.”
First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin said: “This will give the UK the ability to conduct long-range patrols and integrate seamlessly with our Nato allies to provide a worldleading capability.”
Pride of Moray was unveiled at a ceremony in Seattle before being flown to the US Navy base in Jacksonville, where RAF staff are being trained to operate the aircraft by American crews.
The personnel, many of whom operated the UK’s Nimrod fleet at the former RAF Kinloss before they were scrapped in 2010, have been embedded within maritime patrol squadrons across the world to maintain their skills since that time.
The first of the new fleet will arrive at RAF Lossiemouth early next year, with all nine due to touch down by November 2021.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the Poseidon planes would play a central role in forthcoming Nato missions across the North Atlantic – describing their arrival as a “step change” in the UK’s defences.
He said: “Using the world’s most advanced sensors and operating for long periods, these aircraft will transform the quality of intelligence available to our armed forces.”
“Poseidon is a game changing aircraft”