P-8 Poseidon Aircraft Replacing P-3 Orion Aircraft?

[Shannon M]

The P3 Orion, by all accounts, is a critical platform where maritime patrol and interdiction is concerned. One the features of this platform is the long range, long on-station time. Submarine hunting, search and rescue, and all the other task unique to this aircraft depend on that long endurance. I have read the performance data on both Wiki as well as GlobalSecurity.org Both of those trusted sites have the range/endurance of the P-8 Poseidon listed at 1200 nm or four hours on station. Compared to the P-3 Orion's 4000 nm or 16 hours on station. That means that large patches of ocean, easily covered by the P-3, are no longer in range of our newest maritime patrol aircraft. A 1200 nm range is only 600 miles diameter from the base of operation. That is just hard to believe we are heading in that direction. Even if it's capable of in-flight refueling, which I do not think it is, that means a tanker will have to be in close attendance for it even to have any type of endurance. If anyone knows something I am missing, please let me know. This just boggles my mind we would go to such a handicapped aircraft, no matter how high tech it's systems are.