Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the infrastructure work at RAF Lossiemouth will be completed in time to enable the base to be used by the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft can already operate from RAF Lossiemouth on a temporary basis, as has been demonstrated on various occasions by aircraft operated by the US Navy. RAF Lossiemouth has been designated as the Main Operating Base for the RAF P-8A Poseidon fleet and the aircraft is expected to begin operating from there in 2020. As part of the preparations for this, plans are being finalised to build the support and training infrastructure to create a well-established and permanent base as the home for the UK P-8A fleet.