Boeing and Lufthansa Technik Defense signed a multi-year contract on comprehensive technical
sustainment services for the growing fleet of the German Navy’s eight P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol
aircraft, the first of which was delivered earlier this month. The agreed work scope will include nearly all
product segments of the global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) company, from aircraft
maintenance and engine support services via component supply to operations management and technical training. The several decades of experience in maintaining the Boeing 737 – the technical basis for the P-8A Poseidon – allows Lufthansa Technik to support the German Navy with a nearly unrivalled expertise for this aircraft type.
“This new contract expands our military MRO portfolio to include its first weapon-bearing aircraft system and further strengthens its long-standing and trusted partnership with the German Armed Forces,” said Michael von Puttkamer, vice president special aircraft services & defense at Lufthansa Technik. “The company plays a vital role in ensuring the operational readiness of this new weapon system and, in the spirit of Germany’s “Zeitenwende” [turning point] in security policy, contributes to the strengthening of national defense capabilities.”
Lufthansa Technik will provide the Navy with comprehensive Aircraft Maintenance Services right from the start of the German P-8A operations. The company’s headquarters in Hamburg will become a mainstay for both Line Maintenance (in-service checks) and Base Maintenance Services (heavy airframe and system checks) on the Poseidon. With this agreement, Germany is Lufthansa Technik Defense’s third P-8 customer, after New Zealand and India.
To ensure the reliable supply of spare parts, even in times of challenged global supply chains, Lufthansa
Technik will support the German Navy’s P-8A operations from its Aircraft Component Services segment. The company’s Total Component Support provides the Navy with access to Lufthansa Technik’s dedicated pool of P-8 commercial spare parts. Open-loop exchanges with Lufthansa Technik enable the Navy to directly replace any unserviceable aircraft components without waiting for repairs. This reduces spare-part related aircraft downtimes to a minimum and significantly increases the operational readiness of the German Poseidon fleet.
In addition, Lufthansa Technik will ensure the constant supply of Consumables and Expendables, such as bearings, fasteners or lubricants. To maximize both efficiency and time-on-wing of the P-8A’s engines, especially in their usually rough operating environment flying over salt water, Lufthansa Technik will also conduct a dedicated Engine