The Navy received the first of the eight P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft it is to get from Boeing. India had signed a deal worth over $2.1 billion with the American firm in January 2009 for procuring the long-range surveillance aircraft, which are equipped with anti-submarine weaponry.
The first plane was handed over to Indian personnel by the company in Seattle. It will be used for training the crew there, Navy officials said here. This aircraft, along with two more will arrive in India in May 2013.
P-8I is a derivative of Boeing 737-800 long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. It is expected to replace the Navy’s Russian Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprop. The plane is an Indian variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy. India requires aircraft able to patrol the vast stretches of the Indian Ocean. The Navy’s contract with Boeing included an option for four additional aircraft along with warfare, intelligence and surveillance systems, as well as training and maintenance support.
About P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft:
The P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.
This military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.
Boeing was awarded a $3.89 billion contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the P-8A Poseidon for the U.S. Navy on June 14, 2004. SDD activities include developing and integrating all the necessary software and onboard mission systems and developing training systems.The P-8I is the first international model of the P-8A.
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