Boeing has delivered the 10th P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy, which will further strengthen its long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.
P-8I multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft was inducted into service with the Indian Navy in 2013.
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Since then, the aircraft has logged in more than 30,000 flight hours. The aircraft is also capable of supporting disaster relief and humanitarian missions.
In 2016, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a contract to Boeing to deliver four additional P-8I aircraft.
This 10th aircraft is the second of the additional aircraft ordered under this options contract.
Boeing noted that the Indian Navy was the first international customer for the P-8 family of aircraft.
The P-8 series is also operated by the US Navy (USN), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the British Royal Air Force (RAF).
Boeing also offers P-8I training support to the Indian Navy flight crews, provides spare parts, and field service representative, as well as ground support equipment.
This enables the service to maintain a high state of P-8I fleet readiness at an affordable cost.
Boeing is currently constructing the Training Support & Data Handling Centre at INS Rajali in Arakkonam in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The company is also building a secondary centre at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Kochi under a training and support package contract signed in 2019.
Last November, Boeing delivered the ninth P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to the Indian Navy.
