India-US ink $1 billion deal to buy four Poseidon-8I aircraft

India has signed a defence deal with United States worth over $1 billion to purchase four additional Poseidon-8I (P8I) long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft. This deal is a follow-up order to the eight P-81 aircrafts that are already bought by India in a direct deal with Boeing’s Indian subsidiary in 2009. The acquisition of additional four P-8I aircraft will give the

Indian Navy much-needed punch to build up its naval surveillance capabilities. About Poseidon-8I (P8I) aircraft The P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the US Navy. It is capable of broad area, maritime and littoral operations. It is equipped with the sophisticated Harpoon missiles, lightweight torpedoes and rockets. The Indian Navy is the first international customer for the P-8I. Indian Navy has been using the P-8I to keep watch over the Indian Ocean. The P-8I fleet of Indian Navy is based at naval air station Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu.