The German maritime patrol aircraft P3 Orion C enters the dance… far from the area of ​​​​operation

(B2) The German Navy's P3 Orion C maritime patrol aircraft carried out its first reconnaissance flight on Thursday (June 4) on behalf of the EU's Naval Air Operation in charge of controlling the arms embargo off Libya, EUNAVFOR Med Irini

A plane based in the far north, near Denmark

Original fact, the plane is not based as close as possible to the area of ​​operation as usual (Sigonella, in Sicily, for example), but in Germany, in the very north not far from Denmark. A distance that does not really promote great responsiveness. The plane left the naval air base of Nordholz, located on the North Sea near Denmark, and then refueled in the very south of the country, in Neuburg an der Donau, in Bavaria. An ordinary procedure, according to our colleague fromAugergeradeaus. The aircraft will thus remain stationed at Nordholz, from where it will take off for reconnaissance flights over the Mediterranean, with the same refueling procedure.

A specific procedure

This procedure, developed in the midst of the Coronavirus, has several advantages for the German Ministry of Defence. It saves resources: the military remains based in Germany and not abroad; no need for a support team or teams of detached mechanics and the possibility of dual use to carry out patrol missions at national level, in the North Sea, for example. For the operation, on the other hand, it is a little more complicated, the travel times prevent a lack of responsiveness. We are more in the surveillance of the zone programmed in advance.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

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