Boeing's first 737-based P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft destined for delivery to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has conducted its maiden sortie. It was flown from the manufacturer's Renton production facility in Washington to nearby Boeing Field, where it will have its mission system installed, before being transferred to Australia in late 2016. Canberra has ordered eight P-8As, and has options on a further four examples. The RAAF will use the type to replace its Lockheed Martin AP-3C Orions. Flightglobal's Fleets Analyzer database shows the service has 15 of the legacy type in use, with an average age of 33 years.
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