The Royal Canadian Air Force will operate 14 P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft, with the option to acquire a further two at a later date. (Boeing)

Canada has selected the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft (MMA) to fulfil its Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft (CMMA) requirement.

The decision was announced on 30 November, with the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) saying that up to 16 Poseidons (14, plus an option for an additional two) will be acquired. These will replace the Royal Canadian Air Force's (RCAF's) fleet of 14 ageing Lockheed CP-140 Auroras that are to be retired in 2030.

“The P-8A will replace Canada's current maritime patrol aircraft, the CP-140 Aurora, which has been in service for more than 40 years. As it ages, the CP-140 aircraft is becoming increasingly difficult to support, expensive to sustain, and less operationally relevant in comparison to the threats against which it must defend. This procurement will allow Canada to seamlessly transition to a replacement capability, thereby ensuring that Canada can continue to meet its domestic needs and international obligations,” the DND said.

Australia, the UK, and the US are looking for more streamlined processes to share submarine-building technology for AUKUS. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

Australia, the UK, and the US will need to depend on industry and more streamlined processes for sharing data and technology for their AUKUS agreement to succeed, according to US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins.

“There's no way we're going to do this without industry being involved,” Jenkins said during a 27 AUKUS discussion at the Atlantic Council.

As the countries work towards the AUKUS Pillar 1 milestones to help Australia develop a nuclear-powered submarine fleet, the industries involved in these efforts will have to develop ways to more quickly share information and technology, she acknowledged, including some legislative changes.

“We recognise we need to work on some of our export controls and find a way to share information in a more streamlined process, a safer process,” she said.

AUKUS would be breaking new ground in government-industry relations, requiring seamless transfers and sharing of information while protecting the data.

The first of 31 Sea Tiger helicopters for the German Navy departed Donauwörth production facility on its maiden flight on 30 November. (Airbus)

The NHIndustries (NHI) NH90 Sea Tiger for the German Navy (Deutsche Marine) made its maiden flight on 30 November.

The milestone took place at Airbus Helicopter's Donauwörth production facility in southern Germany, ahead of flight trials and delivery to the navy in 2025.

The Sea Tiger is an enhanced version of the German-specific Sea Lion that is itself an enhanced version of the NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter (NFH). Modifications in the Sea Tiger fit include electronic support measures, a dipping sonar, sonobuoys, heavy-stores carriage, AS2u Marte Mk 2 missile, MU90 torpedo, additional internal and external fuel tanks, a stores management system, as well as a second mission console.

The Deutsche Marine is acquiring 31 Sea Tigers to replace its Westland Mk 88A Sea Lynx helicopters in the anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare roles and 18 Sea Lions to replace its Westland Mk 41 Sea Kings in the search-and-rescue, maritime surveillance, vertical replenishment, and transport roles. Sea Lion deliveries were completed earlier in 2023.