The German navy’s P-8 Poseidon lands after its maiden flight in March in Washington state. Germany is increasing its contributions to surveillance in the north Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea using its new Poseidon, an aircraft also operated by the U.S. and a handful of other NATO allies. (Boeing/German navy)
Germany is ramping up its role in NATO maritime surveillance, with plans to deploy one of its new P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft to Scotland in the coming months as part of expanded joint operations with the U.K., according to the British defense ministry.
The move places Germany alongside other NATO allies already operating P-8s in the north Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea regions, which are under increased scrutiny following suspected Russian activity near undersea infrastructure.
Germany plans to acquire eight of the U.S.-made aircraft, which are capable of detecting, tracking and engaging submarines and surface vessels. The growing group of P-8 operators in NATO includes the U.S., U.K., Norway and Canada.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey met at RAF Lossiemouth on Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the Trinity House Agreement, a bilateral defense pact signed Oct. 23, 2024, that allows German aircrews to operate from the Scottish base.
During the visit, the ministers flew aboard a British air force P-8, the U.K. defense ministry said in a statement last week.
Germany received its first P-8 on Oct. 1 during a ceremony at Boeing’s facility in Seattle, according to a statement from the German Embassy in Washington.
German crews have already taken part in two U.K.-led P-8 missions under NATO’s Baltic Sentry operation, the British defense ministry said.
Launched in January, Baltic Sentry aims to deter sabotage and other threats to undersea infrastructure following damage to communications lines between Estonia and Finland in December 2024.
A U.S. Navy P-8 joined Baltic Sentry patrols in late September. American Poseidons routinely operate from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy and Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland, providing broad coverage across the North Atlantic and Baltic.
The addition of German forces to the surveillance mission comes amid a broader push by European NATO members to raise defense investment, a shift that came after sustained pressure from President Donald Trump.
At the Thursday event with Pistorius, Healey referred to the partnership between Germany and the U.K. as “a cornerstone of European security.”
“Together we’re strengthening NATO, boosting our cyber defenses, and ensuring our armed forces can operate side by side with ease, from patrolling the skies over Scotland to hunting Russian subs in the North Atlantic,” Healey said in the statement.
