The Maritime Patrol Enterprise: Seen from Jax Navy and Mayport, June 2020

Ed Timperlake and I visited Jax Navy almost four years to the day of when I visited Jax Navy this month.

In 2013, the first P-8 squadron prepared for deployment; and this year, the 100th P-8 was delivered to the Navy.

When we visited in 2016, the Navy was in to only three years of deployment and the partner of the P-8, the Triton, was not operating as it is today in the Pacific.

During the 2016 visit, we got a clear sense of how the fighting Navy was re-calibrating to deal with the new strategic context, in which it was spearheading the new generation ISR and anti-submarine fight.

During that 2016 visit, all the squadrons in Wing 11 were baseline P-8s. 

Now four years later, the software upgradeable aircraft has evolved, and the capabilities of the now global fleet of P-8s as well.

My recent visit provides a series of insights into the evolution over the past few years, as well as the nature of the foundation being laid for the next leap of capabilities within the fleet and the joint force.

For the P-8/Triton combination is clearly a key capability for the dynamic targeting which the USAF and the USN are focusing upon for deterrence in the new strategic environment.

In a number of the interviews conducted at Jax Navy and Mayport, I had a chance to discuss with P-8, Triton, Seahawk crews and with a MISR officer how the Navy is leveraging these capabilities to shape a kill web approach for the fleet.