India, P-8i Poseidon, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance

The P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, This military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. In January 2008, Boeing proposed the P-8I, a customized export variant of the P-8A, for the Indian Navy.  It features two major components not fitted on the P-8A, a Telephonics APS-143 OceanEye aft radar and a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD).  On 4 January 2009, India's Ministry of Defence signed a US$2.1 billion agreement with Boeing for the supply of eight P-8Is to replace the Indian Navy's aging Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprops. India was the P-8's first international customer and was also Boeing's first military sale to India.

 In October 2010, India's Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of four additional P-8Is, this purchase is reportedly under consideration as of 2014. In 2011, India planned to order 12 more P-8Is at a later date.  In July 2016, it was confirmed India had ordered another four P-8Is that will be delivered by 2020. The Indian Navy is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing signed a contract Jan. 1, 2009, to deliver eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian Navy. Boeing has delivered four P-8I aircraft to the Indian Navy and will deliver the remaining four by 2015. India's immediate need is for eight aircraft, but Boeing believes there is long-term potential for additional aircraft sales. Boeing will build the P-8I at its production facility in Renton, Wash. The 737 fuselages will be built by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kan., and then sent to Renton where all aircraft structural features unique to the P-8 will be incorporated in sequence during fabrication and assembly. Aircraft quality and performance acceptance flight testing will be conducted from Boeing Field in Seattle.

                                                 Specifications

Type	Parameter
Propulsion	Two CFM56-7 engines providing 27,300 pounds thrust each
Length	39.47 meters
Wing Span	37.64 meters
Height	12.83 meters
Maximum Takeoff Gross Weight	85,139 kilograms
Speed	490 knots (789 km/h)
Range	1,200+ nautical miles, with 4 hours on station (2,222 kilometers)
Ceiling	12,496 meters
Crew	9

The Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) Data Link II communications allows the P-8I to exchange tactical data between Indian Navy aircraft, ships and shore establishments. The P-8I features an integrated BEL-developed IFF system.  India has purchased AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles and Mk 54 All-Up-Round Lightweight Torpedoes for the P-8I. In July 2012, Boeing began flight testing of the P-8I. On 19 December 2012, the first P-8I was handed over to an Indian naval team at Boeing's Seattle facility. The Indian Navy inducted its first P-8I on 15 May 2013. The second and third P-8Is were received on 16 and 22 November 2013 respectively. The aircraft are based at INS Rajali, in Tamil Nadu. In 2014, several Indian Navy P-8Is conducted search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The fourth, fifth and sixth aircraft was delivered in May, September and November 2014 respectively. The seventh and eight aircraft were delivered in February and November 2015 respectively. The Indian Navy inducted the first squadron in November 2015.

Background

Boeing was awarded a $3.89 billion contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the P-8A Poseidon for the U.S. Navy on June 14, 2004. SDD activities include developing and integrating all the necessary software and onboard mission systems and developing training systems. The P-8 is a militarized version of the 737-800ERX, a 737-800 with 737-900-based wings. The fuselage is similar, but longer, than the 737-700-based C-40 Clipper transport aircraft in service with the U.S. Navy. The P-8 has a strengthened fuselage for low-altitude operations and raked wingtips like those fitted to the Boeing 767-400ER, instead of the blended winglets available on 737NG variants.  In order to power additional onboard electronics, the P-8 has a 180kVA electric generator on each engine, replacing the 90kVA generator of civilian 737s; this required the redesigning of the nacelles and their wing mountings. The P-8 has a smoother flight experience, subjecting crews to less turbulence and fumes than the preceding P-3, allowing them to concentrate better on missions.

Boeing and its industry partners provide unrivaled expertise in both large-scale systems integration and network centric operations, plus unquestioned leadership in developing and customizing military and commercial products for maritime forces. Boeing leads an industry team that consists of CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, GE Aviation and Spirit AeroSystems. In addition, Boeing anticipates substantial industrial participation on the aircraft from Indian industry.

The five operator stations (two naval flight officers plus three enlisted Aviation Warfare Operators/naval aircrewman) are mounted in a sideways row, along the port side of the cabin. None of the crew stations have windows; a single observer window is located on each side of the forward cabin. A short bomb bay for torpedoes and other stores opens behind the wing. The P-8 is to be equipped with the High-Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC) Air Launch Accessory (ALA), turning a Mark 54 torpedo into a glide bomb for deploying from up to 30,000 ft (9,100 m).

The P-8 features the Raytheon APY-10 multi-mission surface search radar, the P-8I features an international version of the APY-10. Unlike the preceding P-3, the P-8 lacks a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) due to its higher operational altitude, its acoustic sensor system is reportedly more effective at acoustic tracking and thus lacking a MAD won't impede its detection capabilities, India's P-8I is equipped with a MAD per the contract request. Various sensor data are combined via data fusion software to track targets. Following the cancellation of Lockheed Martin's Aerial Common Sensor project, Boeing proposed a signals intelligence variant of the P-8 for the Navy's requirement. During the P-8A Increment 2 upgrade in 2016, the APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System (LSRS) will be replaced by the Advanced Airborne Sensor radar.