Security and Partnership in the Indo-Pacific: Implementation of the Indo-Pacific Guidelines of the Federal Government

On Monday, 16 February 2026, the German Navy deployed a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to India, according to a press release dated 18 February 2026, where the aircraft will take part in the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2026 (IPD) to strengthen Germany's security presence in the region. The maritime patrol aircraft and submarine chaser will operate in the region from India. Reconnaissance and presence flights are planned. With the deployment of the aircraft, the German Navy is deploying one of its brand-new combat aircraft to this region for the first time.

Flying maritime forces can be deployed flexibly over long distances and seamlessly integrated into multinational formations. The Indo-Pacific Deployment is an expression of the German Indo-Pacific Guidelines of 2020 and emphasises Germany's commitment to actively engaging in this region.

In 2021, the frigate "Bayern" was deployed as a contribution against this political backdrop. The German Navy's largest Indo-Pacific deployment to date took place in 2024. It involved the frigate "Baden-Württemberg" with an embarked helicopter task force from Naval Air Wing 5 and the task force provider "Frankfurt am Main". The unit was deployed in the Indo-Pacific region for several months in order to intensify cooperation with partner nations. The passage through the Taiwan Strait, which was crossed in September 2024, attracted a great deal of attention.

Text: German Navy / marineforum