RAF receives final P-8A Poseidon
The ninth and final P-8A Poseidon arriving at RAF Lossiemouth. (Photo: RAF)
Boeing has successfully completed the delivery of all nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft as contracted by the RAF.
Boeing has announced it successfully delivered the ninth and final P-8A Poseidon to the RAF, all nine aircraft have been delivered within the last two years.
The aircraft arrived in Scotland in February 2020 and IOC was declared in April of the same year. The P-8A arrived at RAF Lossiemouth on 11 January.
A new facility was designed and built to house the RAF’s P-8A Poseidon fleet. It was a £100 million joint MoD-Boeing investment and was handed over to the RAF in June 2020.
In December 2020, the RAF announced that RAF Lossiemouth would also be home to its future fleet of E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft, with the first two currently undergoing modification in Birmingham.
The Poseidon supports anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface unit warfare, surveillance and long-range SAR for the UK. More than a dozen UK-based suppliers produce components for the P-8, making up 5% of every P-8 aircraft.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, in 2019, the RAF began the process of ordering the P-8A. The number grew to nine as the final batch of four aircraft was contracted in a $2.4 billion deal, including aircraft for the USN and Norway.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![“Dramatic leaps in processing capability”: how GDMS–UK is evolving mission systems for the modern battlespace]()
“Dramatic leaps in processing capability”: how GDMS–UK is evolving mission systems for the modern battlespace
In Conversation... Shephard’s Gerrard Cowan talks to Sam Steggall, GDMS–UK’s Senior Director – Air and Naval UK, about the company’s extensive and proven in-country capability to deliver complex avionics solutions and its key role on major Royal Air Force and Royal Navy aircraft programmes.
-
![Why the F-16 fighter jet remains a force to be reckoned with (updated 2026)]()
Why the F-16 fighter jet remains a force to be reckoned with (updated 2026)
The Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jet remains in the limelight more than 40 years after its first flight. Shephard sums up the latest developments and details everything you need to know about the aircraft in 2026.
-
![Airbus Helicopters sees defence portfolio’s “strong momentum” continue into 2026]()
Airbus Helicopters sees defence portfolio’s “strong momentum” continue into 2026
The aerospace company’s 2025 performance figures revealed significant orders from various European armed forces and a boost in demand for its uncrewed offerings.
-
![January Drone Digest: MALE, rotary-wing and loitering munition UAVs dominate early 2026]()
January Drone Digest: MALE, rotary-wing and loitering munition UAVs dominate early 2026
The first month of 2026 has seen activity in the MALE, rotary-wing, and loitering munition UAV markets, with significant investments and commitments from Germany, Turkey, the UAE and the US. At the same time, questions over loitering munition performance in Ukraine highlight the growing scrutiny alongside rising demand.
-
![Singapore Airshow 2026: Early adopters and big spenders point to UAV market opportunities]()
Singapore Airshow 2026: Early adopters and big spenders point to UAV market opportunities
While an estimated $37.99bn is still to be awarded across the Asia-Pacific uncrewed aerial vehicle market, the balance of potential future spending is unevenly split between various countries, with significant opportunities to be found in the collaborative combat aircraft space.
