First of Boeing's P-8I planes for Indian Navy arrives

CHENNAI: The first of eight Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Anti Submarine Warfare (LRMRASW) aircrafts India has purchased from the United States arrived at the naval air station at nearby Arakkonam today.

The P-8I, based on the Boeing 737-800(NG) airframe, is the Indian naval variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing has developed for the U.S. Navy.

Vice Admiral Bimal Kumar Verma, Chief of Staff ( Eastern Naval Command), received the aircraft at a function organised at INS Rajali.

Equipped with foreign and indigenous sensors for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine operations and electronic intelligence missions, the aircraft is fully integrated with state-of-the-art sensors and highly potent anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons, a defence press release said.

"The Indian Navy is in process of procuring an additional four P-8I aircraft under the option clause. The P-8I aircraft will greatly enhance India's maritime surveillance capability in the Indian Ocean Region," it said.

The remaining seven aircrafts under the 2009 contract would be delivered over the next two years, the release added.