Royal New Zealand Air Force’s fourth P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft arrives at Ohakea. Photo, New Zealand Ministry of Defence.
JULY 19, 2023. The Royal New Zealand Air Force has taken delivery of its fourth and final P-8A Poseidon from Boeing as part of a $1.45-billion maritime patrol aircraft procurement signed in 2018.
The new fleet replaces six decommissioned Lockheed P-3K2 Orion anti-submarine and maritime surveillance planes that have been in service with the air force since the 1960s.
Like the Orions, the Poseidons will be deployed for maritime surveillance, security operations, and humanitarian missions across New Zealand and allied territories.
Additional fleet tasks include monitoring New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone, the South Pacific, the Southern Ocean, the Ross Dependency, and parts of Antarctica.
The Poseidon fleet will also support other agencies across the government, such as the New Zealand Police, Customs, Department of Conservation, and Ministry for Primary Industries.