In a significant first, a Royal Air Force (RAF) P-8 Poseidon maritime multi-mission aircraft (MMA) was spotted flying an ‘overland mission’ in Polish airspace along the border with Russia and Belarus.
Sporting the serial number ZP809, the aircraft was seen flying up and down the Polish border with the Russian region of Kaliningrad and Belarus on September 15.
The aircraft returned to its home base of RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland after conducting the assigned mission, as per publicly available flight tracking data. A US Navy P-8A was also reportedly tracked circling and operating over the Baltic Sea off the coastline of Kaliningrad.
The UK Ministry of Defense or the RAF did not publish any information on the P-8A’s mission. However, the deployment corresponds with Russia and Belarus conducting the Zapad-2025 military drills.
Additionally, it comes after NATO allies launched Operation Eastern Sentry to enhance air defense along NATO’s eastern flank in response to unprecedented Russian drone incursions into the Polish and Romanian territories.
While the deployment of British aircraft to the Eastern European region is not unnatural, it is likely the first time that the P-8A maritime multimission aircraft (MMA) has been deployed for an overland mission since the RAF received the type in 2019.
Earlier, the UK government had noted in November 2023 that the RAF P-8s were providing surveillance support to Israel, but did not say whether it was for maritime surveillance or overland missions.
The United Kingdom purchased the P-8A primarily to conduct surveillance in the North Atlantic region and to protect the UK’s nuclear deterrent submarine, aircraft carriers, and allied assets from resurgent submarine activity, particularly from Russia, which has returned to Cold War-era levels in the last few years.
#USNavy 2x USN P-8A poseidon seen on the flight radar yesterday, circling and operating over the baltic sea off the coastline of kaliningrad russia. #AE6878 #AE67C2#RAF poseidon MRA1 also included operating to the east of poland close border with belarus. #43C920 pic.twitter.com/41W9C4wjmv
— wip. (@alternativewip) September 16, 2025
Originally intended for marine patrol, the P-8 Poseidon is inherently capable of performing overland intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Its existing systems, such as the AN/APY-10 radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, electronic support measures (ESM), and data links, support both maritime and terrestrial operations.
According to its manufacturer, Boeing, “The P-8 has the proven capability to effectively conduct overland ISR and battle space command and control (C2) of land forces using its advanced mission system, data link, and electro-optical/infrared sensor suite.”
However, the aircraft could be adapted for better overland roles with some modifications to radars and sensors.
The RAF P-8A’s deployment over Poland is particularly intriguing given the RAF’s fleet of just nine P-8 Poseidons, which limits the number of aircraft available for overland missions.
“Was told not all that long ago that, although the RAF originally intended the P-8 to have an overland surveillance capability, this would not now be the case owing to the relatively few aircraft being procured and commitment to its core-carrier protection/MPA and ASW tasks. Seems things have changed again…,” Gareth Jennings, aviation editor at Janes wrote on X.
The P-8 has been used on overland missions by at least two other operators in the past. The US Navy, for one, has upgraded its P-8 for overland missions.
The overland upgrades include an advanced APS-137D(V)5 maritime surveillance radar, which includes high-resolution imaging synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) capabilities for coastal and overland surveillance.
Additionally, these aircraft feature an MX-20HD EO/IR sensor turret, which provides high-definition imagery for day and night surveillance, and optimization of the P-8A’s SIGINT suite to intercept and analyze communications and electronic signals over land.
The US P-8A has been deployed to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations on multiple occasions in the past. Additionally, it has been deployed to the Black Sea region to assist Ukraine and NATO allies with crucial intelligence throughout the prolonged conflict. And more recently, it was deployed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions on the southern border in February 2025.
India, too, had deployed the aircraft for overland missions against China.
In addition to its core maritime role, the P-8I has been used for ISR missions on land, most notably during the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict and the 2017 Doklam standoff in the Himalayas. The aircraft reportedly provided real-time imagery and data on Chinese troop movements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the Galwan conflict.
Termed a game changer, the aircraft proved instrumental in ground and air surveillance, espionage, and offensive operations, even in adverse weather.
It complemented other assets like MQ-9B drones and helped maintain parity by offering a “clear view” of Chinese positions during the crisis.
Additionally, India’s P8I has also allegedly tracked down PLA’s submarines, though never officially admitted by either navy, as noted by Neeraj Rajput, a senior war journalist, in a previous article for the EurAsian Times.
There has been a surge in the sales of the P-8 aircraft amid sharp geopolitical shifts and an aggressive posture taken by countries like China and Russia.
Besides the US, the P-8 aircraft is operated by countries like the UK, India, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and South Korea. Germany and Canada have also signed deals for the purchase, but have yet to receive all their aircraft. Additionally, Singapore’s Ministry of Defense recently announced the purchase of four P-8A Poseidons to replace its 1990s-era Fokker 50 fleet.
India uses a tailored P-8I variant, whereas all other countries use the P-8A.
It is rather interesting that the American P-8 aircraft have been used to challenge and deter China and Russia, in both maritime as well as overland missions.
P-8 Poseidon Against China & Russia
The P-8A Poseidon is a multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft conducting long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The P-8I can also be used for coastal patrolling and search and rescue missions, making it a truly versatile platform.
It is derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800 airliner and produced by Boeing Defense, Space & Security.
The P-8 Poseidon aircraft has a maximum range of about 7,500 kilometres and an endurance of 10 hours, allowing the aircraft to conduct long-range patrols, as seen with the latest RAF deployment in which the P-8A travelled about 2,500 kilometers to Poland from its home base.
The aircraft has been equipped with modern surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, such as a long-range X-band radar that can identify maritime objects hundreds of kilometers away. It also features sophisticated electronic warfare systems and high-resolution digital electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors.
Additionally, the aircraft features the AN/APY-10 multi-mode radar, which incorporates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR (ISAR) capabilities for detecting submarines, surface vessels, and land targets in all weather conditions. It features secure data links for real-time coordination with ships, aircraft, and ground forces, and allows interoperability between operators, such as those in NATO.
The aircraft can detect submerged submarines by identifying magnetic disturbances. The aircraft can also carry over 120 sonobuoys to detect and track enemy submarine activity.
With its High-Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC), the P-8A can engage submarines quickly and accurately without being exposed to low altitudes by deploying MK-54 torpedoes as glide bombs from as high as 30,000 feet. In terms of weaponry, the P-8A is equipped with air-to-surface missiles designed to precisely target maritime threats, as well as torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.
The P-8A is designed for maritime dominance, offering unmatched ASW and ISR capabilities in contested regions like the South China Sea and North Atlantic—which is the primary reason why countries that remain at loggerheads with China and Russia are increasingly opting for this aircraft.
The open architecture of the Poseidon supports upgrades, ensuring relevance against evolving threats. For example, the US Navy’s P-8A aircraft has been upgraded to the Increment 3 Block 2 standard to transform it into a more networked, sensor-fused platform. The upgrade includes new airframe racks, radomes, antennas, sensors, and wiring, among other things.
The aircraft will also be getting a new combat systems suite with improved computer processing and higher security architecture capability, a wide-band satellite communication system, an ASW signals intelligence capability, a track management system, and additional communications and acoustics systems to enhance search, detection, and targeting capabilities.
This upgrade enhances track management, signal intelligence processing, and multi-mission capabilities, allowing enhanced detection and targeting of threats.
Boeing has now integrated Lockheed Martin’s Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) into the aircraft. In fact, a P-8A was spotted flying over the Mojave Desert with these missiles for the first time in August 2025.
The missile was clearly visible under the left wing of the aircraft. The LRSAM is a derivative of the US Air Force’s Joint Air-to-Surface Strike Missile-Extended Range cruise missile. Its integration onto the P-8A will now fill an air-launch capability gap and provide flexible, long-range, advanced anti-surface capability to it.
The aircraft is constantly undergoing upgrades, including previously unknown enhancements, to enhance its lethality.
Last month, a US Navy P-8A was seen with a rare AN/APS-154 Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS) pod extended beneath the fuselage during an encounter with the Russian Su-35. The pod’s extension suggested that it was in operational mode, likely scanning for surface vessels, submarines, or even ground targets along the coast.
Thus, underscoring the strategic importance of these aircraft for conducting ISR missions in critical, contested theatres.
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