German Navy introduces largest combat plane to patrol North Atlantic

The German military on Thursday introduced its new Boeing P-8A Poseidon, its largest combat aircraft in operation.

The maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft is a "game changer" in the hunt for submarines, said Captain Oliver Ottmüller.

It is the first of eight planes that will gradually be stationed at the Nordholz air base near Cuxhaven in north-western Germany. 

The aircraft will primarily be deployed in a strategically important sea area in the North Atlantic between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom.

The so-called GIUK gap is seen as a vulnerable point for Russian submarines to enter the Atlantic and disrupt NATO maritime supply lines in the event of an attack on Europe.

According to the Navy, the P-8A Poseidon is based on the large Boeing 737 passenger plane and, at just under 40 metres in length, is the largest combat aircraft in the Bundeswehr, Germany's military.

The aircraft can reach speeds of up to 936 kilometres per hour and has a range of 7,000 kilometres. 

The jet is capable of monitoring large sea areas, tracking ship movements and locating submarines using radar as well as acoustic and optical systems.

Sonar buoys can be dropped, and submarines can be combated with torpedoes or depth charges. 

The Navy has stressed the importance of modern reconnaissance jets for cooperation within NATO. Training and maintenance are carried out jointly with the United States, Britain, Norway and Australia.

The 11-member crew has been training with partner countries for months.

The decision to purchase the aircraft, which replaces the older P-3C Orion model, was made in 2021, with all eight aircraft to be delivered by 2028.