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Navy surveillance jets from Whidbey Island assigned to patrol, protect Hawaii

Published October 5, 2017 11:28pm PDT

Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) — Two sub-hunting and surveillance Navy jet planes have reached Hawaii with a mission of protecting the isles.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (http://bit.ly/2z2QAL5 ) Thursday that the arrival of the P-8A Poseidon jets extends a Navy maritime presence that started on Oahu in the 1920s.

The Navy states the planes brought three crews from Whidbey Island, Washington, for a continuous presence that will see Whidbey crews rotate through Hawaii for two to three months at a time. The planes are part of a patrol squadron called the "Skinny Dragons," which was based on Oahu for many years before leaving in March 2016.

The planes will be based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay until work starts in late fall on the base's runway, then will move to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.