Home South Asia

With China On Radar, India Expands Maritime Reconnaissance With Delivery Of 10th P-8 Surveillance Aircraft – Boeing

India took delivery of the tenth P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft, expanding the nation’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities, Boeing said on Tuesday.

What Is US’ Deadliest Submarine Killer – The P-8 Poseidon Doing At 15,000 Feet On India-China Border?

“This is the second aircraft to be delivered under an option contract for four additional aircraft that the Indian Ministry of Defense awarded in 2016,” Boeing said in a press release.

Boeing supports India’s growing P-8I fleet by providing training of Indian Navy flight crews, spare parts, ground support equipment and field service representative support, the release said.

The support includes the construction of a training and maintenance center for Indian Navy crews, now nearing completion, to provide ground-based instruction as additional surveillance aircraft becomes available, the release added.

Earlier, as the EurAsian Times had reported,  the US State Department had given its approval to a proposed plan to sell approximately $2.42 billion worth of P-8 patrol aircraft to the Indian government, according to an announcement by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

Boeing P-8 Poseidon - Wikipedia
File Image: Boeing P-8 Poseidon – Wikipedia

“The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of six (6) P-8I Patrol aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.42 billion,” the DSCA has stated.

The sale includes GPS, anti-missile, and tactical radio systems among other related technologies intended for use with the aircraft.

Boeing Reveals Offset Obligation To Indian Navy’s P-8I ‘Neptune’ Aircraft Deal

The equipment is intended to help the US support its own foreign policy and national security objectives in the region in cooperation with India, which is a major US partner in the Indo-Pacific and South Asian regions.

Last year in April, two P-8 Poseidon aircraft, one from the United States and one from India, spent a day this week practicing anti-submarine warfare in the Indian Ocean, the US Navy said in a press release.

Arch-Rivals India & Pakistan To Accelerate ‘Naval Missions’ With US-Made P-8 Poseidon & Embraer Lineage

“The US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) also joined the drills, which focused on anti-submarine warfare training, information sharing and coordination between maritime patrol aircraft and ships,” the release read.

The P-8 Poseidon is a multi-mission aircraft used primarily for maritime patrol and reconnaissance as well as for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, according to the US Navy. The aircraft can also carry torpedoes and cruise missiles.

Exit mobile version