RAF Poseidon conducts overland surveillance in mission first

A file photo of an RAF P-8 Poseidon MMA. Flight tracking data has for the first time shown the maritime patrol aircraft to be conducting overland surveillance operations. (Crown Copyright)

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has utilised a Boeing P-8A Poseidon MRA1 maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) in the overland surveillance role for the first time, according to flight tracking data.

Aircraft ZP806 was shown on the Flightradar24 online tracking service as operating on NATO's eastern flank on 15 September, routing up and down the Polish border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad and Belarus before returning to its home base of RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.

The RAF has nine Poseidons in its inventory, and while it was originally intended that the platforms should have an overland surveillance capability, an RAF officer previously told Janes that this would not now be the case owing to the relatively few aircraft being procured and commitment to its core-carrier protection, maritime patrol, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tasks. While the UK government had noted in November 2023 that Poseidons were among the RAF aircraft types providing aerial surveillance support to Israel, it was not disclosed if that was maritime or overland support.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) did not provide Janes with confirmation or details as to the Poseidon's new overland role, except to say that the RAF employs a wide range of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, adding, “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on speculation on operational or intelligence matters.”