Return of the Jedi
February 7, 2025
The first Joint Exploration and Discussion of Initiatives (JEDI) Symposium of 2025 at RAF Lossiemouth in Morayshire was attended by personnel from the USA, Canada, Germany, and Norway, who operate more than 40 Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft across Europe, and who aspire to operate these as a ‘single fleet’.
Each of the five nations participating in JEDI either operates or will soon operate the Poseidon aircraft. The Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft is primarily used for maritime surveillance, regularly monitoring the waters around the UK for threats on and below the surface as well as supporting the Royal Navy in protecting the UK. On 16 January 2025, for example, the Royal Air Force confirmed that a P-8A Poseidon from RAF Lossiemouth had been involved in the tracking of a Russian landing ship, the RFN Aleksandr Shabalin, through the English Channel.
The aircraft can also be used on search and rescue missions.
RAF Lossiemouth is home to the RAF’s nine Poseidon MRA.Mk 1 aircraft and hosts aircraft from a number of international partners when they want to conduct exercises in the North Sea or to receive training from the RAF. Norwegian P-8As are regular visitors to the station, and a US Naval Support Facility was opened at Lossiemouth in 2024 to provide a permanent hub for US P-8A deployments
The Trinity House Agreement signed in October 2024 will allow Germany to operate its own Poseidon aircraft out of the Scottish air base, once they are delivered. No.42 (Torpedo Bomber) Squadron, based at RAF Lossiemouth, has been training P-8 aircrew from the Royal Canadian Air Force as Canada begins its transition to the type.
The JEDI Symposium (which was the third such Symposium since January 2024) began on 18 January and concluded on 23 January. Over the course of the week, personnel attended briefings to agree on their combined initiatives and priorities, and to exchange information and compare experiences.
Working together as combined international crews, aircrew from the participating nations completed simulated anti-submarine missions as part of a training exercise. This was intended to help the participants to develop their skills and improve collaboration between the nations.
“Despite some differences in procedures at a tactical level, the crews were able to operate effectively thanks to common aircraft, mission systems, and weapons,” an instructor noted.
Squadron Leader Barber, the Executive Officer of No.120 Squadron, said that: “Maritime patrol is a team game, requiring close co-operation with allies and NATO partners to ensure a coherent response to any threats we may face. This is why the JEDI Symposium is such an important event, allowing operators from the five nations to exchange ideas and build bonds, both professionally and socially. RAF Lossiemouth is the ideal location, due to its strategic position on the northern approaches to the UK, and close to the entrance to the Baltic Sea.”
Our coverage of RCAF P-8 training at Lossiemouth is at:
https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/royal-canadian-air-force-poseidon-pilots-training-in-scotland/
