First Norwegian P-8A aircrew trained
The first class of Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) aircrew graduated from the US Navy’s Patrol Squadron (VP) Thirty’s Category 2 school on 11 September, completing their transition from the P-3C Orion to the P-8A Poseidon.
VP-30’s Foreign Military Sales Division facilitated the course with the RNoAF’s No. 333 Squadron, which began in early March.
The Norwegian military is set to take delivery of the P-8A aircraft in 2021-23.
Some RNoAF crewmembers will go to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, to support testing and development of future P-8A technologies. Others will remain at VP-30 to go through the Instructor Under-Training syllabus, to qualify as instructors for the Norwegian P-8A force.
The RNoAF transition will continue as ten more aircrews are slated to arrive at VP-30 for training in the future.
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