Europe
US Navy finishes $26.5 million hangar for P-8 patrol planes in Sicily
Stars and Stripes
February 9, 2022
A new $26.5 million P-8 Poseidon hangar at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, Italy, seen in the background on Feb. 2, 2022, can hold two of the aircraft simultaneously. Previously, P-8 maintenance took place in a smaller hangar designed for P-3 Orion aircraft. (Alison Bath/Stars and Stripes)
NAPLES, Italy — Naval Air Station Sigonella unveiled a new $26.5 million P-8 aircraft hangar, hailing it as a milestone in U.S. efforts to support and defend NATO allies.
Designed to house two P-8A Poseidon aircraft simultaneously, the 56,000 square-foot hangar offers a space for deployed squadron rotations and Commander Task Force 67 operations, the Navy announced in a Feb. 2 statement.
The Poseidon is a patrol plane capable of surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and other maritime missions. It is based on the Boeing 737 airframe.
Capt. Tim Thompson, head of Commander Task Force 67, walks through the new P-8 Poseidon hangar at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, Feb. 2, 2022. (Kegan E. Kay/U.S. Navy)
The hangar, started in May 2017 and completed Jan. 15, includes modern technology and construction techniques designed to improve overseas maintenance, the Navy said.
Previously, P-8 maintenance took place in a hangar designed for smaller P-3 Orion aircraft. A P-8 aircraft couldn’t fully fit in the hangar and allow the bay doors to close, said Lt. Drake Greer, an NAS Sigonella spokesman.
Sigonella enables P-8A deployment throughout the theater, supporting U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command, the Navy said. The P-8 is one of many American, Italian and NATO aircraft operating out of Sigonella.
Last year, the already completed main portion of the hangar was used as a transit site for Afghan evacuees prior to their subsequent movement to other locations, the Navy said.