A larger British P-8 fleet and its patrol areas

How many P-8 aircraft should the UK operate?

The preferred force is roughly 56-64 aircraft, with groups in Britain, the Falklands, Diego Garcia and Gibraltar, plus training and maintenance capacity.

The proposed distribution places eight aircraft in the Falklands, sixteen operating from the UK, eight at Diego Garcia and eight at Gibraltar. At least sixteen more would support training and maintenance in Britain. That produces an estimate of about 56-64 aircraft. These bases would cover the South Atlantic, North Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Gulf and Mediterranean. Patrols and listening coverage would supplement satellites.