The US Navy has witnessed the successful take-off of a Boeing P-8A Poseidon test aircraft T2 from Renton Field which landed at Seattle.

The anti-submarine warfare aircraft T2 passed Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington to provide a close-range look at the flight.

The 117 P-8As will be bought by the navy to replace its current fleet of P-3Cs.

The flight reached a maximum altitude of 25,000ft and underwent airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations, engaging autopilot flight modes and auxiliary power unit shutdowns and starts.

T2 is the third among five test aircraft that were built and tested under Boeing’s system development and demonstration contract that the company received in 2004.