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India and United States are on the verge of executing the biggest defence deal worth $ 2.1 billion for eight Boeing P-8I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft.
The final hurdle of the Indo-US defence deal has been crossed and both governments have cleared the technical assistance agreement (TAA) for the P-8I contract after exchange of a few drafts and the formal approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
The implication of this final agreement is that the “Direct Commercial Sales Contract’ between US firm Boeing and India has become a reality after more than half a year of signing the contract and that the US would provide complete maintenance and support for the P-81 LRMR.
India is slated to receive its first P-8I towards early 2013 with the other seven following in a phased manner by 2015-2016.
The contract also provides an option for India to order four to eight more such planes.
The P-81 LRMR is customized for India and based on the Boeing 737 commercial airliner.
It will actually be a variant of the P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft currently being developed for the US Navy.
Boeing claims that it is the most advanced maritime patrol aircraft in the world and India will be the first buyer.
The P-81 LRMR will be capable of anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare and will be armed with torpedoes, depth bombs and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
The P-8I planes will help the Indian Navy to overcome the shortcomings in their snooping capabilities since the P-81 will have an operating range of over 600 nautical miles with “5.5 hours on station”.
The aircraft will be fitted with long range anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance equipment.
Each aircraft will cost around $220 million.
These advanced LRMRs will surely enhance Indian martitime surveillance capability and will be a welcome substitute to the fuel-guzzling naval fleet of Tupolov Tu-142M with the Indian Navy.
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