Boeing P-8A Poseidon. Photo Credit: Boeing PhotoMay 19, 2008 (Sawf News) - India is close to inking an agreement with the US for supply of 8 customized Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Multimission Aircraft (MMA), designated P-8I, to the Indian Navy. The $2.2 billion dollar military deal will be biggest so far with the US.
The P-8A Poseidon, a derivative of the 737-800, is a long range antisubmarine warfare, anti surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad area, maritime and littoral operations.
The P-8Is will replace Indian Navy's antiquated fleet of Russian Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft.
The Poseidon will help Indian Navy keep a tab on Chinese nuclear submarines lurking around India. The cruise missiles on the Poseidon, and I am betting they will be Brahmos, will also give Pakistan something to think about.
India, along with Australia, is amongst the first foreign buyers of the Poseidon system, which is yet to be inducted into the US Navy.
Richard Buck, international manager of Boeing's P-8A program, told Hindustan Times, "The US Department of Defense takes time to offer latest technology to another country. But India and the US will deploy the P-8A/I around the same time."
This is what I think Buck meant. "The US wants India to ease its load of keeping tabs on Chinese nuclear submarines in the Indian Ocean, and get paid for letting India do so."
A classic example of convergence of interest, you might say.
The Poseidon has a 1,200+ nautical miles range, with 4 hours on station. Its range / time on station can be considerably enhanced with in-flight refueling.
It is designed to fly low and slow through the weather, unlike the 737-800; the 737 upswept winglets have been replaced with raked-back wingtips, better suited for icy conditions.
Also gone are the passenger windows, replaced with just one large rectangular observer window on each side.
The aircraft has a cavernous internal weapons bay with five stations, four wing pylons, and two centerline pylons. Its digital stores management allows for carriage of joint missiles, torpedoes and mines.
For spotting and tracking threats it is equipped with
- An upgraded Raytheon APS137 Maritime Surveillance Radar
- Electro-optical / infrared sensors from Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems
- A rotary internal reloadable pneumatically controlled sonobuoy launcher.
- SIGINT equipment
Its self protection suite includes
- Towed Decoy Self Protection
- Infrared countermeasures
The U.S. Navy plans to purchase 108 P8As to replace its fleet of P3C aircraft. The first aircraft will be delivered for flight test in 2009 and initial operational capability is slated for 2013.
Ref: P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA)
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