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| The US Navy's P-8A Maritime Aircraft Now Has 128 HAAWC Capabilities |
International Military - The United States Navy (US Navy) announced initial operational capability (IOC) HAAWC with their P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. HAAWC which stands for High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability, means Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability.
With this capability, the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft can deploy MK 54 torpedoes from short altitudes and from cruising altitudes. This aircraft has capabilities for long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Accumulatively the US Navy's P-8A aircraft have accumulated more than 450,000 flight hours and have been free from accidents to date. The aircraft are used to support wide area, maritime and coastal operations, as well as conduct humanitarian and search and rescue missions around the world, the US Navy says.
With HAAWC capability, the kit attached to the MK 54 torpedo can become a precision guided glide weapon. The US Navy currently operates 112 P-8As and is awaiting additional orders under a 2021 contract for another 128.