Second in Poseidon fleet touches down at Kinloss
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THE latest addition to the RAF's £3 billion P-8A Poseidon fleet has touched down in Moray.
Named City of Elgin as a nod to the military community's connections with the place, the aircraft landed at Kinloss Barracks earlier than expected, around 10.45am today, aided by strong tailwinds.
The aircraft departed Naval Air Station Jacksonville, in Florida, early this morning where it made the journey over the North Atlantic.
It is the second in the line-up of nine new Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to be received at Kinloss while the runway and facilities at RAF Lossiemouth are being renovated.
The first of the fleet, named Pride of Moray, landed at Kinloss Barracks on February 4. Crews from CXX Squadron have already been operating around the UK’s waters, using its world-class sensor suite to locate, track and identify surface and sub-surface vessels.
Moray Conservative MP Douglas Ross said: "I’m delighted that the second P8 aircraft, City of Elgin, touched down at Kinloss on Friday, where it will join our first Poseidon, Pride of Moray. The planes will be based at Kinloss for several months before moving to their permanent base at RAF Lossiemouth once the runway extension there is completed later this year.
"The arrival of the P8s is part of a massive financial commitment by the UK Government in Moray and Scotland, with millions invested at RAF Lossiemouth. The Poseidon fleet will patrol and protect our shores around the UK as well as taking part in international and NATO operations.
"We look forward to seeing City of Elgin in the skies above our communities, knowing the vital role Moray and Scotland is playing in the defence of the United Kingdom."
The runway at RAF Lossiemouth is being resurfaced as part of a £470 million investment, which includes a new air traffic control tower and accommodation. A £132 million facility to house the P-8A fleet is also being built.
The new aircraft and infrastructure will see more personnel based at the station, along with new jobs for the local workforce.
The Poseidon fleet will operate out of Kinloss Barracks until October, when it will move to its permanent home to join the four front-line Typhoon Squadrons who currently fly there.
While Typhoons defend the skies, Poseidon will defend the seas. They will protect the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent and be central to NATO missions across the North Atlantic, co-operating closely with the US and Norwegian Poseidon fleets.
They are designed to carry out extended surveillance missions at high and low altitudes, equipped with cutting-edge sensors which use high-resolution area mapping to find both submarines and surface vessels.
Each Poseidon carries sonobuoys which are dropped from the aircraft into the sea to search for enemy submarines, surveying under the sea and relaying data back to the aircraft. They will also be armed with Harpoon anti-surface ship missiles and Mk 54 torpedoes capable of attacking both surface and sub-surface targets.
It has been a busy week for RAF Lossiemouth, launching nine Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons over the space of six days, during three incidents involving Russian long-range aviation that entered the UK’s area of interest.
