The country’s top military brass has gathered at Ōhakea Air Base to welcome the first of four new P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

They will replace the fleet of six P-3 Orions, which have been in service for more than 50 years.

After today’s blessing of the aircraft by kaumatua Fred Holloway, Defence Minister Peeni Henare told guests the planes’ arrival was a significant milestone for the country, Defence Force and wider region.

However, he had been expecting a “flashier” colour.

The aircraft was designed and purpose-built to control maritime environments and monitor vessels on and below the surface, Henare said.

“This is important for Aotearoa, surrounded by sea.

“It’s hard to believe we will soon be saying goodbye to the P-3 Orions, which have been a familiar sight in our skies since the 1960s.

“The Poseidon will not only continue the P-3′s legacy of service, but it will also grow it and enhance it.”

The new planes were built by Boeing and came with a total price tag of $2.53 billion.

Powered by two CFM56-7B engines, they have a top speed of 902km/h, a range of 2222km with four hours on station (flying above the area of interest), and a ceiling of 12,496m.

All four will be based at Ōhakea.

The remaining aircraft are scheduled to arrive by mid-2023 and will be housed in specially built hangers on the base, which will be finished next year.

“Whether it’s saving lives at sea, securing our vast maritime resources, preventing transnational crime, building regional resilience or defending our region against military threats, the P-8, like the P-3 before it, has the breadth of versatility and the depth of capability to take the job on.

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“Beyond the aircraft themselves, the flight deck and mission system simulators will streamline training within New Zealand.”

hhe New Zealand flight crew were trained in Jacksonville, Florida.

“It’s time now to put your preparation and your skills to work here at Ōhakea. It’s time to get the RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] P8 fleet into service,” Clark said.

Squadron leader Byron Wagstaff spent three years training in Florida with the US Navy, clocking up 1000 hours of flying between the simulator and the aircraft.

“We can carry 22 people but generally a crew is made up of nine.

“There are two pilots, two tactical co-ordinators, and then four to five centre operators.”

It was a lot smoother on the Poseidon compared with the Orion, tactical coordinator Reece Tamariki said.

He also trained in the US and was involved in a search and rescue operation using a Poseidon in the Bahamas while he was there.

“We got on top of the area and found the people in the water. It was a capsized boat.”

After a break for Christmas, there would be crew training to reintegrate in to New Zealand flying procedures, Wagstaff said.

“From there, we’re looking at a pretty aggressive timeline to get the aircraft stood up.

“We’re excited to get into it. It’s great to finally see the plane on the flight line.”

A flight line refers to the part of an airfield where planes are parked and serviced.

The P-8A will take over responsibility for all national and regional support to maritime search and rescue and humanitarian aid and disaster relief from July 1 next year.

Full operations should commence at the end of December 2023, enabling the fleet to support all NZDF military operations, along with Southern Ocean and Pacific Surveillance.

Clark said the transfer of No. 5 Squadron personnel from the RNZAF Base Auckland at Whenuapai to Ōhakea would be completed within the next 18 months.

“In total, across all levels of the [P-8A] capability, we’re expecting a population shift of about 250 people and their families.

“We will be ceasing operations with the Orions by the end of January.

“They are going to a peaceful retirement. One will be going to the Air Force museum in Christchurch.”