The Boeing P8I, a Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-submarine Warfare (LRMR/ASW) aircraft of the Indian Navy, made its maiden landing at the INS Utkrosh airfield on Tuesday, Aug 6th 2013.
Piloted by the Squadron Commander (designate), Commander HS Jhajj, the aircraft under call sign ‘IN 321’ was welcomed to the islands by the Commander-in-Chief, Andaman & Nicobar Command, Air Marshal PK Roy, AVSM, VM, VSM, ADC at an event that was attended by senior officers of the Unified Command. The aircraft that landed there is the same that arrived in India in May this year. It is the first of the eight aircraft that are being procured under a contract signed in 2009 and is based on the Boeing 737-800 platform. The aircraft is based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam.
The P8I is the Indian Naval variant of the P8A ‘Poseidon’ aircraft that Boeing developed for the US Navy and India is the first international customer of this aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with both foreign as well as 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.
The induction of this aircraft into the Indian Navy has provided a quantum leap to India’s maritime surveillance capability in the Indian Ocean Region and enhanced the Navy’s strategic reach.
[mappress] Press Release, August 12, 2013; Image: Indian Navy