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Norway acquiring Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft

Norway is to acquire five Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

By Richard Tomkins
Norway is to acquire five P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Boeing, Norway's Ministy of Defense announced this week. Pictured, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon drops an anti-submarine torpedo. U.S. Navy photograph
Norway is to acquire five P-8 Poseidon aircraft from Boeing, Norway's Ministy of Defense announced this week. Pictured, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon drops an anti-submarine torpedo. U.S. Navy photograph

April 5 (UPI) -- Norway is acquiring five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to replace its aging P-3 Orion fleet, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense reports.

The aircraft, worth about $1.16 billion, are scheduled for delivery in 2022 and 2023.

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"We have now signed the contract for five new P-8A maritime patrol aircraft," Minister of Defense Ine Eriksen Søreide said in a press release. "The procurement is underlining Norway's allied commitment to spending on defense capabilities vital to both NATO and Norway."

Norway is located close to Russia's Kola Peninsula and its patrol of national and adjacent waters is a key part of NATO operations.

The Ministry of Defense said it "looks forward to close and efficient cooperation in operations, logistics, maintenance and other functions" with Britain and the United States, which both fly the Poseidon aircraft.

The P-8 Poseidon is equipped with sensors and weapons bays for anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare. It can also be used for search-and-rescue tasks.

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