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Australia - P-8A Poseidon
Project AIR 7000 Phase 2B

The sheer size of the air and sea space within Australia's primary operational environment presents particular challenges in relation to surveillance and armed maritime response across such a vast area. To meet this challenge, in the 2009 Defence White Paper the Government decided to acquire eight new maritime patrol aircraft to replace the current AP-3C Orion fleet. These new aircraft will provide a highly advanced surface search radar and optical, infra-red and electronic surveillance systems. With these systems, along with a high transit speed and the ability to conduct air-to-air refuelling, these aircraft will provide a superior capability for rapid area search and identification tasks. They will also provide a highly advanced ASW capability, including an ability to engage submarines using air-launched torpedoes. After subsequent upgrades, they will be capable of firing stand-off anti-ship missiles.

The Government would also acquire up to seven large high-altitude, long-endurance UAVs to supplement the manned maritime patrol aircraft. These large UAVs, with an ocean-spanning range, will markedly expand the surveillance coverage of the maritime approaches to Australia, in both area and duration. They will also have a significant overland capability to provide support to our ground forces in a range of circumstances. Strategic UAVs provide persistent ISR, enhancing our situational awareness in both the land and maritime domains.

There are two P-8A Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) in effect between the United States and Australia. The Increment 2 MOU, signed April 2009, authorizes Australian participation in P-8A Increment 2 development. The Production, Sustainment, and Follow-on Development MOU, signed March 2012, authorizes Australian procurement of Increment 2 capable P-8A aircraft, participation in development of common sustainment strategies for the life of the aircraft, and participation in development of new platform capabilities.

Under Project AIR 7000 Phase 2B the Boeing P-8A Poseidon is the preferred aircraft of choice for the Royal Australian Air Force, with deliveries from 2016 onward. In July 2013 it was reported that Australia planned to buy more Boeing Co. P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jets than initially projected to replace planes dating from the 1970s, reducing its requirement for drones built by Northrop Grumman Corp. Funding for the purchase will be sought in 2014, with talks under way about the exact mix of P-8s and MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft. While it had planned to acquire eight aircraft and seven drones, the number of P-8s could reach into double figures. Australia’s Wedgetail AEW plane is also based on the B-737 airframe, which will ease transition. The last AP-3C was scheduled to be retired in 2018 after providing 30 years of almost continuous service.

Under the 2016 Defence White Paper, eight P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance and response aircraft will be introduced in the early 2020s, with seven additional aircraft to be acquired in two tranches to bring the total to 15 aircraft by the late 2020s. These aircraft have a range of over 7,500 kilometres, and can be refuelled in the air by Australia’s KC-30A air-to-air refuelling aircraft, extending their range even further. In addition to being able to undertake sophisticated surveillance operations at great distances, the P-8A can undertake offensive operations against submarines and ships, as well as supporting search and rescue operations.

To complement the surveillance capabilities of the Poseidon, the Government will acquire seven high altitude MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft from the early 2020s as part of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance capability stream. The Triton is an unarmed, long-range, remotely piloted aircraft that will operate in our maritime environment, providing a persistent maritime patrol capability and undertaking other intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. Short-range maritime tactical unmanned aircraft will be acquired to improve the situational awareness of ships on operations.