Boeing selects Bombardier business jet for maritime surveillance aircraft program

By BA Staff

Boeing has selected Bombardier's Challenger 605 business jet as the platform for its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) program.

Tim Peters, Boeing vice president and general manager, Mobility, Surveillance and Engagement, said at the Dubai Airshow:

"The Challenger 605 is an ideal platform to host MSA's mission system, sensors and communications equipment. It also provides the power, payload capacity, range, speed and endurance that our customers tell us they need for missions such as anti-piracy; coastal and border security; and long-range search and rescue."

Boeing team-mate Field Aviation will modify the Challenger 605's structure and air vehicle systems into the MSA configuration.

Peters said:

"Field Aviation has extensive experience engineering and modifying the Challenger family of aircraft for a variety of missions, including maritime surveillance."

Field Aviation is currently modifying a Boeing-owned Challenger 604 jet into an MSA demonstrator aircraft that will complete ground and flight testing of the mission systems and be presented to potential customers in 2014.

MSA incorporates technologies developed for the P-8A Poseidon, the U.S. Navy’s newest anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance system based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane.  

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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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Boeing delivers to US Navy first F/A-18 Super Hornet fitted with HAL made gun bay door

Last week on July 20, Boeing [NYSE: BA], delivered to the U.S. Navy the first F/A-18 Super Hornet featuring a gun bay door manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) based in Bangalore, India.

F/A-18 featuring HAL made gun bay door. Click on image for a high resolution view.

These gun bay doors are the product of the first military contract between Boeing and HAL which manufactures them at their huge complex in Bangalore. The two companies are also cooperating on military projects likethe Indian Navy variant of the US Navy P-8 Poseidon, the P-8I and commercial airplanes like the Boeing 777.

Boeing's involvement with Indian aerospace vendors has been growing dramatically after it won a raft of commercial and military orders from Indian government entities. Initially driven by offset agreements over their sales to Air India, Indian Airlines, and various arms of the Indian military, aerospace manufacturers have discovered a wealth of capabilities within the Indian engineering sector.

Recently, in its magazine Frontiers, Boeing detailed its multi-dimensional partnership with India. The Boeing F/A-18IN Super Hornet is a competitor in Indian Air Force's Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft tender.

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