India signs deal for four more P-8I surveillance aircraft

India signed a USD1 billion deal with Boeing on 27 July for four additional P-8I Neptune surveillance aircraft (similar to this one) for the Indian Navy. Source: Boeing

By: Wording OD.

India's Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a USD1 billion deal with Boeing on 27 July for four additional P-8I Neptune long-range maritime multi-mission aircraft for the Indian Navy (IN), official and industry sources said.

The aircraft, which are being acquired via a direct commercial sale with Boeing and the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route with the US government for its weaponry, will supplement eight other P-8Is the IN acquired in 2009 for USD2.1 billion. All eight aircraft were delivered by 2015.

Industry sources told IHS Jane's that deliveries of the new P-8Is would begin about mid-2019 and be completed within 12-14 months. They said the deal was signed during the India visit of Frank Kendal, the US Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition following approval by India's Cabinet Committee on Security in late June.

Kendal was in the country to further the bilateral Defence Trade and Technology Initiative to jointly develop and manufacture varied military equipment, including an aircraft carrier and combat aircraft engines. With the P-8I deal India has acquired US defence equipment valued at about USD15 billion since 2000.

With an operational range of 1,200 n miles each of the four new P-8Is will be equipped with Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems' newly designed AN/APY-10 multi-mission maritime, littoral and overland surveillance radar capable of providing high-resolution images in land and sea modes.

They will also be armed with Harpoon Block II anti-ship missiles and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Mk 54 Mod 0 lightweight anti-submarine warfare torpedoes capable of being released from a height of about 6 km.

Official sources pointed out, however, that for now the new P-8Is, just like the previous eight, will not be delivered with secure and encrypted communication suites and electronic warfare (EW) systems.

The reason for this is that India has yet to sign two 'foundational agreements' that direct such transfers: the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum Agreement (CISMoA) and the Basic Exchange and Co-operation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Co-operation (BECA).

Source: Jane's Defense.