Operational focus: North Atlantic
German Navy receives first US-built P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft for use against Russian submarines. But warships and submarines for North Atlantic operations are Europe-made.
BERLIN/LONDON/OSLO (own report) – The German Navy has received the first of the five P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft ordered from the US. The tech-filled, Boeing-built aircraft is primarily designed for submarine hunting. It will be used to monitor movements in the Baltic Sea and, above all, in the North Atlantic, where it will be tasked with tracking down Russian submarines. North Atlantic operations are considered critical because all units of Russia’s Northern Fleet must cross this sea area to reach the Atlantic from bases on the Kola Peninsula. In a war scenario they could attack supply routes from North America to Europe. The German Navy’s P-8A Poseidon aircraft will be stationed at the British air base in Lossiemouth with its direct access to the North Atlantic. In ordering these aircraft, Germany has opted for a US product instead of the Franco-German MAWS maritime patrol aircraft as originally planned. Berlin’s decision marks a setback for the creation of an independent European defence industry. On the other hand, the submarines and warships to be deployed in the North Atlantic are being made in Europe. There is close cooperation between various defence companies from the United Kingdom, Norway and Germany.
Franco-German problems
The decision to procure the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft was taken in June 2021. It meant that the German government was turning its back on a Franco-German project to produce maritime aircraft as jointly planned Maritime Airborne Warfare System (MAWS). MAWS was one of six projects, for the most part technologically ambitious, that Berlin and Paris had decided in 2017 to develop or build. One aspect of the initiative was to provide European countries with their own high-tech weapon systems independently of the United States. The other five projects were: a sixth-generation fighter jet (Future Combat Air System, FCAS), now on the verge of failure [1]; a state-of-the-art battle tank (Main Ground Combat System, MGCS), whose development is already severely delayed [2]; the Eurodrone, which observers say is likely to be completely obsolete by the time it finally enters service in six years’ time after drastic delays; the jointly planned upgrading of the Eurocopter Tiger, a combat helicopter from which Germany withdrew in spring 2023; and the planned development of a shared artillery system, which was reported in 2023 but has since gone quiet for a few years [3].
US weapons: quickly available
The decision to procure the US P-8A Poseidon, based on the Boeing 737, instead of the Franco-German MAWS maritime patrol aircraft was justified on various grounds, including the fact that the development of the MAWS aircraft was taking too much time. The German Navy could wait indefinitely. Berlin has used a similar argument to justify the procurement of further US military equipment. Yet these decisions run counter to the oft-invoked goal of equipping Europe’s armed forces with independent weapon systems. The decision to replace the ageing Tornado jets for “nuclear sharing” with 35 US F-35 jets was again justified on the grounds that the F-35 was already certified for US nuclear weapons. If the Eurofighter were to be used for this purpose it would first have to undergo the certification process. Not only would that take a lot of time but it would also serve up industrial secrets to the US on a silver platter.[4] Likewise, for developing a comprehensive air defence shield (European Sky Shield Initiative, ESSI), Berlin had chosen the US Patriot system instead of the French-Italian SAMP/T. The Patriot system had already been tried and tested operationally, it was said.[5] However, a change of course is possible here. Denmark has, for instance, now decided to procure the SAMP/T air defence system instead of Patriot. The reason for opting out of US supply is thought to be Denmark’s dispute with Washington over Greenland.[6]
North Atlantic rim
The logic behind procurement of the P-8A Poseidon is also based on other considerations. The North Atlantic is one of the most important areas of operation for the Bundeswehr’s maritime patrol aircraft. It is a sea that Russian submarines would have to cross on their way from their home base on the Kola Peninsula to the Atlantic if they were to attack supply routes from North America to Europe. However, the German Navy will not be operating there alone, but in close cooperation with North Atlantic rim neighbours Norway and the UK. Like Canada, another littoral state, these countries all rely on the P-8A Poseidon. Joint procurement of the aircraft makes it easier to conduct joint operations. Since January 2024, five North Atlantic P-8A users – the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Norway and Germany – have been holding regular symposia under the title Joint Exploration and Discussion of Initiatives (JEDI), at which the joint use of the maritime patrol aircraft is discussed and further developed. In January 2025, this gathering took place for the first time at the British air base in Lossiemouth, northeast of the Scottish city of Inverness. The US Navy, which makes regular use of Lossiemouth, maintains a dedicated naval support facility there.[7]
Anglo-German cooperation
In addition, under the UK-Germany Trinity House Agreement on military and armaments cooperation, which was concluded in October 2024, German P-8A Poseidon aircraft are to be stationed “regularly” in Lossiemouth and participate in the continuous surveillance of the North Atlantic by NATO countries. Anglo-German cooperation actually goes beyond the stationing and possible joint missions of the two countries using P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The German maritime patrol aircraft are to be equipped with US MK 54 torpedoes. This offensive capability is intended to take out Russian submarines if necessary. There are also plans to procure British Sting Ray torpedoes, which are manufactured by the British defence contractor BAE Systems, for use on the patrol aircraft. Among others weapons makers, the German Rheinmetall Group is working increasingly closely with BAE Systems.[8] The envisaged expansion of UK-Germany arms cooperation includes the joint development of drones, “combat cloud” capabilities and, more ominously, cruise missiles with a range of over 2,000 kilometres, which would effectively be capable of striking Moscow.[9]
A naval triangle
Anglo-German defence cooperation is only one side of a triangle that also includes close German-Norwegian and British-Norwegian cooperation. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Kiel and Wismar is building Type 212CD (Common Design) submarines, which were developed in line with the shared interests of the two countries’ armed forces and are procured by both Berlin and Oslo.[10] This project is intended not only to save money, but also to facilitate joint operations. It is part of broader collaboration that extends to the production of anti-ship missiles, maintenance arrangements for naval craft and military training. Norway, for its part, has ordered frigates from the United Kingdom. Oslo announced at the end of August that the Norwegian Navy would be purchasing five British Type 26 frigates to be manufactured at the BAE Systems shipyards in Glasgow. The price is put at around ten billion pounds Stirling. Shipyards in Germany, France and the United States had been keen to win the contract.[11] According to observers, the contract was finally awarded to the UK rather than Germany largely because of Norway’s desire not to become dependent on a single country for military hardware. The decision against a US shipbuilder, on the other hand, is seen as a conscious move towards intra-European armaments cooperation.
[1] See: Decision postponed again.
[2] See: Panzer für Europa (II).
[3] See: Bad Signals.
[4] See: Festtage für die Rüstungsindustrie (II).
[5] See: Deutsch-französische Konflikte.
[6] Laura Kayali: Denmark chooses Franco-Italian air defense system over US patriots. politico.eu 12.09.2025.
[7] International Poseidon operators convene at RAF Lossiemouth. raf.mod.uk 30.01.2025.
[8] See: Europas Mächtedreieck.
[9] Nina Werkhäuser: Berlin und London entwickeln gemeinsame Langstreckenwaffe. dw.com 16.05.2025.
[10] See: Countering Russia in the Far North.
[11] Kaya Burgess: Defence industry buoyed by £10bn warship export deal with Norway. thetimes.com 31.08.2025.
