Norway prepares to receive first Poseidon aircraft
Vingtor, the first P-8A Poseidon aircraft ordered by Norway. (Photo: Boeing)
Boeing has rolled the first P-8A Poseidon aircraft, intended for Norway, out of the paint shop. Flight testing is next, with the deliveries to begin soon.
Boeing has completed the construction of the first P-8A Poseidon aircraft to be received by Norway.
Norway is one of eight nations that have selected the P-8A as their multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft of choice.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force has revealed the names of its five P-8A Poseidon aircraft: Vingtor, Viking, Ulabrand, Hugin and Munin.
Viking, Vingtor and Ulabrand were used on Norway’s PBY-5 Catalina maritime patrol aircraft in 1942.
Other maritime patrol aircraft have carried those names since, including their P-3 fleet, which will be replaced by the P-8. The DA-20 fleets will also be replaced.
The first P-8A aircraft, Vingtor, will now return from the paint shop to the factory floor to be prepared for flight testing.
The first flight test is scheduled for later this month and mission systems will be installed on the aircraft following that.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, Norway signed the $1.29 billion contract for five P-8A aircraft in March 2017, delivery is expected to finish by 2022.
The aircraft can be equipped with the MK 54 MAKO lightweight torpedo, the CFM56 family of engines and BAE System’s Mission Computers and Display Systems.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Saab’s GlobalEye gains ground as Canada’s aircraft procurement tilts towards Europe]()
Saab’s GlobalEye gains ground as Canada’s aircraft procurement tilts towards Europe
Canada’s interest in negotiating a procurement of Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft signals its readiness to reduce its reliance on US defence technology as trade tensions with its North American neighbour mount.
-
![US Air Force CCA programme to achieve multiple milestones in the coming months]()
US Air Force CCA programme to achieve multiple milestones in the coming months
The US Air Force is preparing to select mission-autonomy software, fire a missile from the FQ-42 Vengeance and test both CCA designs alongside crewed fighters at 2026 Emerald Flag.
-
![September crewed air review: established platforms retain their grip on the market]()
September crewed air review: established platforms retain their grip on the market
With many next-generation capabilities still years from operational readiness, several of the month’s largest developments demonstrated that governments remain willing to invest heavily in aircraft with proven capabilities and established support networks.
-
![Will the US Navy F/A-XX and the USAF F-47 compete for production capacities?]()
Will the US Navy F/A-XX and the USAF F-47 compete for production capacities?
The two sixth-generation fighter programmes could battle for engineering talent and production lines before deliveries begin, testing Boeing’s industrial expansion plans.
-
![September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper]()
September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper
The loss of many MQ-9 Reapers during the 2026 Iran War has underscored the risks of sending relatively expensive UAVs into contested airspace. In September, new contenders to replace the Reaper emerged, championing cheaper, modular aircraft designs for mass production and inevitable attrition.
