Farnborough 2016: 'Seedcorn' stands UK in good stead for P-8 introduction into service

The UK's decision to embed some of its key maritime patrol personnel with allied units means that it should be well prepared for the not-too-distant introduction into service of the P-8A Poseidon. Source: IHS/Patrick Allen

By: Wording OD.

The UK's 'Seedcorn' personnel exchange programme has gone a long way to mitigating many of the risks that might otherwise have troubled the planned introduction into service of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), a senior US Navy (USN) officer told reporters on 12 July.

Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow 2016, Captain Tony Rossi, USN Program Manager PMA-290, said that the decision in 2010 by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to second about 30 personnel to allied MPA forces in the wake of the Nimrod MR2 retirement and Nimrod MRA4 cancellation had been highly fortuitous in relation to recently announced P-8A procurement.

"'Seedcorn' was a great victory. UK crews already have about 1,000 hours of P-8 time - they are some of the most capable operators that [the US Navy] has," Capt Rossi said. "They already have about three to five years on the P-8, and so the UK will not be starting from a crawl [when its new aircraft begin arriving in 2019]," he added.

Following the retirement of Nimrod MR2 and cancellation of the Nimrod MRA4 in late 2010, the United Kingdom sent a core of qualified Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrew to maintain and develop their skills with MPA squadrons in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States,

Of these, about 12 have been serving aboard US Navy P-8s based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida. Although usually integrated with US Navy and even Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) crews that have been building up their own P-8 proficiencies, the RAF crews have on occasion operated on their own. Such has been their ability, that a UK-only crew actually won the US Navy's prestigious Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Fleet Challenge exercise in 2014.

Source: Jane's Defense.