Israel Weighs P-8 Anti-Submarine Aircraft as Turkish Naval Concerns Grow

Israel's defense establishment is considering acquiring Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, designed to detect and engage submarines, amid concern over Turkey's expanding naval power and increasingly hostile rhetoric. The aircraft has an operational radius of about 2,200 kilometers, supports aerial refueling, and carries maritime radar, acoustic, electro-optical and infrared sensors. It can also deploy torpedoes, bombs and naval mines against surface and underwater targets. A defense source said the IDF already has strong anti-submarine capabilities, while the P-8's high cost could make a purchase feasible only as part of a wider agreement with Washington.