Indian Navy's second P-8I maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft arrives

by Devesh Agarwal

Manufacturer, Boeing has delivered the second P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian Navy. The first P-8I was delivered in May. The P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing has developed for the U.S. Navy.

Indian Navy's second P-8I IN-320 departs for India

The two aircraft are currently stationed at INS Rajali, informally known as Arakkonam Naval Air Station, just west of Chennai. The second aircraft will begin flight trials in the coming months, while the first P-8I recently completed testing its weapons capabilities, including successfully firing a Boeing Harpoon missile at a target and dropping a torpedo.

The P-8I features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment. P-8I aircraft are built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation.

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Video: How Boeing responded to the Indian Navy's P-8I additional flight and weapons' testing needs

In 2012, the P-8I being built for the Indian Navy was transitioned in to flight testing by Boeing. With a committed delivery date set, the program was suddenly required to do additional flight testing, including weapons separation testing; and all this without adding any additional time to the schedule. Boeing was required to drop simulated weapons from the wing of a commercial airplane, something no one has ever done before in The Boeing Company.

A military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the P-8I is a sister ship to the P-8A, the United States Navy’s maritime surveillance and submarine hunter. The P-8 is designed to carry weapons both under the wing and in a weapons bay.

Watch this almost four minute video to see how the P-8I team achieved the requirements, much to the astonishment of the Indian Navy program managers and colleagues within the company

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Indian Navy receives first Boeing P-8i maritime aircraft

The Indian Navy has taken on-site delivery of the first of its ordered eight Boeing P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. The order was placed on January 1, 2009.

Indian Navy pilots are training on this aircraft in the USA, and expect to ferry this aircraft to India around May 2013.

The Boeing P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft first developed for the US Navy, as a replacement to the ageing P3C Orion, on the successful Boeing 737 airframe.

The P-8I has been customised for India, and the platform's electronics are crucially required in plugging the huge gaps in the Indian Navy's maritime monitoring and surveillance capabilities. The P-8I will also be armed with the deadly, anti-ship, Harpoon missiles, torpedoes and depth bombs to give them potent anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability.

The P-8I will replace the ageing and fuel-guzzling Russian Tupolev-142Ms of the Indian Navy. Presently, the Navy uses the TU-142Ms, IL-38SDs and Dorniers for surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean region.

Boeing is expected to deliver two more P-8Is during 2013.

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Photos: Boeing commences flight test programme of Indian Navy's P-8I maritime aircraft ahead of December handover

US airframer Boeing commenced the flight test programme on the Indian Navy's first P-8I aircraft on July 7. Tail number IN320 took off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 0915 local and landing three hours and 49 minutes later after demonstrating flying qualities and handling characteristics.

The second P-8I aircraft, tail number IN321 performed its initial flight on July 12. Taking off from Renton Field at 15:29 and landing two hours and 14 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle. During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed airborne systems checks and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to landing.

The P-8I is a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, based the Boeing 737-800 commercial airplane. The Indian Navy had ordered eight aircraft from Boeing on January 1, 2009. Boeing commenced the manufacture of the aircraft in December 2010, after completing the final design review (FDR) in July, and the first P-8I, IN320, had its first flight on September 29, 2011. (Click each link for related stories and photos).

Indian Navy Boeing P-8I IN320 and IN321 face each other

As per Leland Wight, the Boeing P-8I program manager,

"The program is on plan and the Indian Navy is excited for the P-8I to join its fleet,"

. The two aircraft will now undergo extensive mission systems installation and checkout work in the coming weeks.

By December, the aircraft are expected to be handed over to Indian Navy personnel who will then commence training and familiarisation in the US. Boeing expects to make formal delivery to the Indian Navy in mid-2013 after which the P-8I's will fly to India.

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First pictures: HAL Light Combat Aircraft Navy version first flight

India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) naval prototype took off on its first flight just a few hours ago, after many a delay.

The twin seat aircraft took off a little after noon and landed about 20 minutes later. The flight was reported well with the aircraft behaving as expected. Bangalore Aviation photographer Vedant captured the aircraft as it touched down.



The aircraft was piloted by Commodore Jaideep Avinash Maolankar, Chief Test Pilot with the NFTC, and co-piloted by Wing Commander M. Prabhu, flight test engineer (FTE). (Hat-tip to Shiv Aroor).

In keeping with LCA tradition, the tail number is KHN-T 3001. All prototype LCA's carry KH on the tail honouring the plane's creator Padma Shri Dr. Kota Harinaryana.

Congratulations to HAL, DRDO, Indian Navy, and everyone associated to this project.

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Photos: Indian Navy's first Boeing P-8I maritime aircraft completes first flight

The first of the Indian Navy's eight P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, ordered on manufacturer Boeing back in January 2009, completed its first flight earlier this morning.


IN320 took off from Renton Field at 12:02 PDT (00:32 IST) earlier today and landed 2 hours and 31 minutes later at Boeing Field in Seattle.

During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed airborne systems checks including engine accelerations and decelerations and autopilot flight modes, and took the P-8I to a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet prior to landing. In the coming weeks Boeing will begin mission systems installation and checkout work on the aircraft at a company facility near Boeing Field.


The P-8i is the Indian Navy variant of the U.S. Navy's potent P-8A Poseidon, a long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane. Boeing is expected to commence delivery of the P-8i to the Indian Navy in 2013. The original contract for eight aircraft includes an option for four more aircraft.

In addition to the P-8i order, Boeing has an order from the Indian Air Force for the C-17 Globemaster III for its strategic and tactical airlift needs and is in negotiation with the Indian Defence Ministry for its AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopter.

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Boeing commences building Indian Navy's first P-8I maritime aircraft

Boeing has commenced fabrication of the P-8I the long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft destined for the Indian Navy. India is the first international customer of this variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy, which in turn is based on the popular Boeing 737 passenger aircraft.

This is part of of an eight aircraft order placed by the Indian Navy in January 2009. Earlier, in July this year, Boeing and the Indian Navy completed the final design review of the P-8I.

The P-8I's first part, a bonded aluminium panel that later will be installed on the fuselage's upper lobe to support an antenna, was cut at Spirit AeroSystems, where all Boeing Next-Generation 737 fuselages, nacelles and pylons are designed and built. The panel and other fuselage components will come together on Spirit's existing 737 production line.

Spirit will ship the P-8I fuselage to a Boeing Commercial Airplanes facility in Renton, Wash., in mid-2011 for final assembly. After that, Boeing Defense, Space & Security employees will install mission systems and complete testing prior to delivery to India, expected before January 2013.

Boeing, along with competitor Airbus, have significantly expanded their footprint in India both in the civil aviation, and Boeing is leading the charge in the defence market. Both Boeing and Airbus parent EADS are strong contenders in the Indian Air Force's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) tender.

Both companies are partnering with India companies to build a supply chain out of India, and both companies have opened R&D and engineering centres in Bangalore, long the technological and aviation capital of India.

Related articles

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• Boeing sees no "compelling reason" for 737 upgrade - FT (reuters.com)
• "Indian Navy invites unmaried Men and Women to join Navy as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) Officer as Observer in Aviation Cadre of Executive Branch Course Commencing - July 2011" and related posts (careers-india.com)

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Boeing and the Indian Navy complete P-8I final design review

Indian Navy officers along with Boeing have successfully completed the final design review (FDR) for the P-8I, India's long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft based on the Boeing 737 commercial airplane.

Completion of the FDR locks in the design for the aircraft, radar, communications, navigation, mission computing, acoustics and sensors, as well as the ground and test support equipment.

India is the first customer for the P-8 outside the United States.

During the five-day FDR held in Renton, Washington state, USA, Indian Navy officers met with Boeing representatives from both the Defense, Space & Security and Commercial Airplanes divisions to review relevant design information and performance against specifications.

For the P-8I, since Boeing is incorporating not only India-unique design features, but also India-built subsystems, the FDR represents an agreement between the Indian Navy and Boeing, that the design addresses all customer requirements. This is a significant milestone which also paves the way for the program to begin assembling the first P-8I aircraft.

In a company statement, Vivek Lall, India country lead, Boeing Defense, Space & Security says

"The P-8I's unique capabilities are tailored to India's maritime-patrol requirements. It has the reach and capability to defend India's vast coastline and maritime waters,"

Lall's colleague, Leland Wight, Boeing's P-8I program manager indicates

"We are on track to start fabricating the P-8I's empennage section before the end of this year."

Boeing will deliver the first P-8I to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, i.e. by 2013.

Related articles

• UPDATE 1-Boeing says more India C-17 orders possible (reuters.com)
• "First Charleston-built 787 will go to Air India" and related posts (avindia.blogspot.com)
• Boeing's anti-sub craft has test flight (bizjournals.com)

Image via Wikipedia

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India Aviation 2010 air show: Day 1 - Tragedy and happiness

The Aviation India 2010 began on March 3rd with a bang. Along with political stars, state Chief Minister Rosiah, US Ambassador Timothy Roemer, French Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont, almost everyone in the Indian commercial aviation industry was present for the inauguration. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Mr. Prafaul Patel, Air India Chairman Mr. Arvind Jadhav, Jet Airway's Naresh Goyal, Saroj Dutta, and Sudheer Raghavan, Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya, SpiceJet CEO Sanjay Aggarwal, the Director General of Civil Aviation Dr. Nasim Zaidi, Boeing India head Dinesh Keskar, Airbus India head Kiran Rao, and I am sure I have missed out many names.

Immediately after the inauguration ceremony tragedy struck the show. A four plane aerobatic formation of the Indian Navy Sagar Pawan team was demonstrating their prowess when HJT-16 Kiran Mk II tail number IN078 crashed five seconds after I took this photo. Commander S.K. Maurya and Lt Commander Rahul Nair were killed.


Video from TV9 (a local language channel) shows how IN078 trailing green smoke appears to have flown in to the jet wash of IN076 trailing blue smoke. It was all over in five seconds.


Despite the tragedy, the show went on. The second half was joy, and all that of Airbus S.A.S. India chief Kiran Rao. First his company delivered to national carrier Air India the very first A320 in the Air India livery. VT-EDD is part of the 43 aircraft order placed by the erstwhile Indian Airlines which included 20 A321, 19 A319 and four A320. By next month, delivery of the remaining aircraft, one A321 and the balance three A320s should be completed.

Powered by CFM56 engines, the new A320s are equipped with the Thales i3000 in-flight entertainment (IFE) system, in two class configuration 20 business and 120 economy.


Late in the evening, Airbus delivered to value carrier IndiGo its 25th A320-232, VT-IGK. Powered by IAE V2500 Select One engines, this aircraft is in all economy configuration with 180 seats.

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Indian Navy Kamov Ka-28 Helix helicopter crashes at sea off Goa coast, crew rescued

An Indian Navy Kamov Ka-28 "Helix-A" helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea, 22 nautical miles off the coast Goa, earlier day, but the three crew escaped unhurt.

The Ka-28 is the export version of the Ka-27Pl

Image courtesy Wikipedia

The helicopter had taken off from the Indian Navy base at Goa INS Hansa at 11:00 (05:30 UTC) on a routine sortie. Air Traffic Control officials at the Dabolim International Airport, Goa, indicated that the helicopter lost contact with them 20 minutes later.

A few minutes later, when a distress signal was received a Navy rescue helicopter was scrambled, which rescued the crew members.

The debris of the Kamov has been located and a court of inquiry has been initiated as per an Indian Navy spokesperson.

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Indian navy orders 8 Boeing P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft

The Government of India has ordered eight Boeing P-8I long range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft.

At $2.1 billion this will be the biggest-ever defence deal of India with United States, double of the $962-million contract signed with US for six C-130J `Super Hercules' aircraft for use by Indian special forces, last year.

The Boeing P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft first developed for the US Navy, as a replacement to the ageing P3C Orion, on the successful Boeing 737 airframe.

The P-8I has been customised for India, and the platform's electronics are crucially required in plugging the huge gaps in the Indian Navy's maritime monitoring and surveillance capabilities. The P-8I will also be armed with the deadly, anti-ship, Harpoon missiles, torpedoes and depth bombs to give them potent anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capability.

The P-8I's are expected to "enhance interoperability" between the Indian and US navies, and is a critical step in the on-going efforts of greater cooperation and growth strategic embrace between the two nations.

The actual signing took place on January 1, with the Indian defence ministry's joint secretary and acquisitions manager (maritime systems) Preeti Sudan and Boeing integrated defence systems vice-president and country head Vivek Lall signing the contract

India will get the first P-8I within 4 years, i.e. end-2012 or early-2013, the rest following in a phased manner by 2015. The contract also provides an option for India to order four to eight more such planes.

While the deal has been long in the making, the recent 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, have provided a boost to the closure. Both the Navy and the Coast Guard were criticised for not being able to pre-empt the attacks, and protection of the long Indian coast line has suddenly become a major priority of the Government.

The P-8I will replace the ageing and fuel-guzzling Russian Tupolev-142Ms of the Indian Navy. Presently, the Navy uses the TU-142Ms, IL-38SDs and Dorniers for surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean region.

The Navy is also shopping for six new medium-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft valued at Rs. 1,600 crore ($ 350 million), to achieve its aim of an effective three-tier surveillance grid in the entire Indian Ocean.

For innermost layer (up to 350 km) surveillance, the Navy is procuring two more Israeli Heron UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), with three ground control stations and two ship control stations, for Rs 386 crore after successfully deploying eight Searcher-II and four Heron UAVs. A joint Indian-Israeli Rs. 1,186 crore effort is on, for developing rotary-wing UAVs for use from warships.

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