Oceanic Surveillance

The changing strategic maritime picture in Asia-Pacific has triggered the renewal of numerous maritime patrol fleets with more aircraft on the way.

- David Oliver

With tensions running high in the South China Sea, a number of Asia-Pacific nations are re-equipping their maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) fleets with new capable platforms. The most successful MPA of the modern era has been the Lockheed P-3 Orion which was developed from a commercial airliner, the four-turboprop Electra and the current MPA of choice for those that can afford it is Boeing P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Aircraft (MMA) which was developed from another commercial airliner, the Boeing 737.

India was the lead export customer for the P-8A with an initial order for eight P-8I Neptunes to be used by the Indian Navy to replace its Russian Il-38 Mays that were also developed from another four turboprop commercial airliner, the Il-18. Serving with No. 312 ‘Albatross’ Squadron based at Arakkonam, four additional Neptunes have been ordered while the Indian Navy operates two squadrons of HAL (Dornier) 228-201 coastal maritime surveillance aircraft.

In February 2014, the Australian Government announced the acquisition of 12 Boeing P-8A Poseidon MMAs under Project AIR 7000 and approved an option for a further three aircraft subject to the outcomes of future Defence White Paper reviews. Based at RAAF Base Edinburgh, the P-8A aircraft are replacing the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) surviving 15 AP-3C Orions, with the first aircraft delivered in December 2016 and all eleven will have arrived by March 2020 with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) being declared in March 2018, five months ahead of schedule. Under Australia’s Plan Jericho, the P-8As will share maritime patrol and surveillance with a fleet of unmanned MQ-4C Triton aircraft.