Why in News?
India plans to procure 6 additional P-8I Poseidon aircraft from the USA under an inter-governmental framework, strengthening maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Description:
Platform Basics:
- Type: LRMR–ASW (Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance–Anti-Submarine Warfare)
- Manufacturer: Boeing (USA)
- Base Airframe: Boeing 737-800ERX
- Indian Variant: P-8I (customised from US Navy’s P-8A)
- Induction (India): From 2013
- Fleet (current): 12 aircraft (8 + 4)
| Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) | Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW) | ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance) |
| SonobuoysMk-54 Lightweight TorpedoesMagnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) – present in P-8I (not in standard P-8A) | AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles | Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)Long endurance patrol (~8–10 hours)Network-centric operations |
India-Specific Features:
- APS-143 OceanEye aft radar (360° coverage)
- Data Link II (BEL-developed secure communication suite)
- Secure data integration with Indian naval assets
Key Concepts:
- Sea Denial: The ability to prevent an adversary from using a maritime area (primary role of the P-8I).
- Interoperability: High compatibility with Quad partners (USA, Australia, Japan all operate P-8 variants).
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