Indian Defence Review

P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Boeing delivered the fifth P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to India, on schedule, on Sept. 9 as part of a contract for eight aircraft to support the Indian Navy’s maritime patrol requirements.

The aircraft arrived at Naval Air Station Rajali, after a flight from Seattle’s Boeing Field, and joined the four previously delivered P-8Is.

“The P-8I program is progressing on schedule, and the aircraft are providing the capabilities to meet our maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare requirements,” said Vice Admiral RK Pattanaik, India Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. He added that the partnership between Boeing and India has been very professional to date.

“This is another important milestone for the program, and we look forward to continuing our great relationship with India,” said Dennis Swanson, BDS vice president in India. “We’ll deliver one more P-8I before the end of the year, followed by two in 2015.”

Boeing is building India’s aircraft through a contract awarded in 2009. Based on the company’s Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, the P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing builds for the U.S. Navy.

“We appreciate that senior representatives of the Indian Navy were with us in Seattle to participate in delivery activities and watch the plane take off for Rajali,” said Mark Jordan, Boeing P-8 International program manager. “It’s a great accomplishment for the entire team, and we’re hard at work assembling and testing the next P-8I in line for delivery.”

The P-8I incorporates not only India-unique design features, but also Indian-built sub-systems that are tailored to meet the country’s maritime patrol requirements. The P-8I features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment.

In order to efficiently design and build the P-8I and the P-8A, the Boeing-led team is using a first-in-industry, in-line production process that draws on the company’s Next-Generation 737 production system. P-8I aircraft are built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.