The AP-3C Orion aircraft will continue to fly with 292 Squadron and 10 Squadron while the RAAF switches to the P-8A Poseidon.
The stunning images in this post, which were taken on Nov. 25, 2016, show a PBY-6A Catalina and P2H Neptune from the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society flying in formation with a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion and P-8A Poseidon over Adelaide.
On that day, former and present 11 Squadron members welcomed the arrival of the first P-8A Poseidon at RAAF Base Edinburgh in addition to commemorating the “End of an Era,” which marked the end of 48 years of Orion operations at the 11 Squadron.
The P-8A Poseidon will have its home base at RAAF Base Edinburgh, just like the AP-3C Orions before it. Advanced multi-role radar, high-definition cameras, and an acoustic system with four times the processing power of the RAAF’s current AP-3C Orions are just a few of the cutting-edge sensors and mission systems used by the P-8A Poseidon.
On November 16, 2016, the first aircraft arrived in Canberra. The final 11 aircraft were delivered by March 2020. For the first eight P-8As, Initial Operational Capability (IOC) occurred between 2017 and 2020. Australia’s future maritime patrol and response plan heavily relies on the P-8A. The P-8A aircraft, along with the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), took the position of the AP-3C Orions, which were scheduled to be retired in 2018–19.
However, the AP-3C Orion aircraft will continue to fly with 292 Squadron and 10 Squadron during the RAAF’s transition to the P-8A Poseidon.
Photo by Royal Australian Air Force