Boeing P-8A Poseidon VP-16 FLAG BACKGROUND
by Arthur Eggers
Title
Boeing P-8A Poseidon VP-16 FLAG BACKGROUND
Artist
Arthur Eggers
Medium
Digital Art - Color Print
Description
Patrol Squadron SIXTEEN (VP-16) was originally established as Reserve Patrol Squadron 906 (VP-906) in May 1946, it was redesignated Medium Seaplane Squadron 56 (VP-ML-56) on 15 November 1946, redesignated Patrol Squadron 741 (VP-741) in February 1950 and redesignated Patrol Squadron 16 (VP-16) on 4 February 1953. It is the third squadron to be designated VP-16; the first VP-16 was redesignated VP-41 on 1 July 1939 and the second VP-16 was redesignated VPB-16 on 1 October 1944. VP-16 is tasked to undertake maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The P-8A is the newest intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Navy’s arsenal. It possesses an advanced mission system for maximum interoperability in battle space. Capable of broad-area, maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A is expected to influence how the U.S. Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate, and deploy. The P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, along with an electronic signals intelligence (ELINT) role. This involves carrying torpedoes, depth charges, SLAM-ER missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons. It is able to drop and monitor sonobuoys. It is designed to operate in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle. During mid-2014, a pair of P-8s were dispatched to Perth, Australia for two months as part of an international search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. USN P-8s may routinely rotate through bases of allies. The P-8 is a militarized version of the 737-800ERX, a 737-800 with 737-900-based wings. The fuselage is similar, but longer, than the 737-700-based C-40 Clipper transport aircraft in service with the U.S. Navy. The five operator stations (two naval flight officers plus three enlisted Aviation Warfare Operators/naval aircrewman) are mounted in a sideways row, along the port side of the cabin. In U.S. service, the P-8 fleet will be complemented by around 40 MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance system to provide continuous surveillance.
Uploaded
June 14th, 2020
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