The Japanese Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) presented the Kawasaki P-1 Anti-Submarine Warfare/Maritime Patrol Aircraft (ASW/MP) at this year’s Paris Air Show.
Deliveries of the aircraft to the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) started in 2013. According to the JMSDF, the aircraft flies daily maritime patrol missions over Japan, and in 2016 was deployed to assist the aftermath of earthquakes in New Zealand.
According to Hideaki Watanabe, the ATLA’s Commissioner, 17 aircraft are already in use with the JMSDF, and are operated from four bases. A contract has been signed for providing the JMSDF with 20 additional aircraft, to be delivered over a four-year timeframe. It is likely that additional orders will follow, as the Japanese operational requirement for a total of 70 units. ATLA officials confirmed that a number of foreign customers, including Italy and France, have shown interest in the aircraft during the Paris Air Show.
