Indian navy receives first of four P-8Is under 2016 deal with Boeing

India's navy received its ninth P-8i surveillance aircraft on Wednesday, manufacturer Boeing Co. reported.

The plane is the first delivered under an option contract, signed in 2016, for four additional aircraft, the remaining three of which are expected to arrive in 2021.

The Indian navy was the first international customer to receive the plane, in 2013.

The P-8i is modified from the Boeing 737-800ERX passenger plane and built originally for the U.S. Navy. It is used in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and shipping interdiction roles.

Armed with torpedoes, Harpoon anti-ship missiles and other weapons, it can drop and monitor sonobuoys, and can operate in combination with Northrop Grumman's MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone.

The new planes of the Indian navy will include electronic surveillance, reconnaissance and jamming capabilities. They will also include encrypted communications systems, a feature available after India and the United States signed the Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement of 2016.

The encryption allows Indian and U. S. commanders so Indian and U.S. military commanders, and their aircraft and ships, can communicate through secure networks.

The COMCASA agreement, one of several defense pacts between the two countries, facilitates interoperability between their military forces, as well as with other allies using the systems.

Related Links
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Taiwan grounds all F16 jets after one goes missing
Taipei (AFP) Nov 18, 2020
Taiwan has grounded all of its F16 fighter jets for safety checks as rescuers continue to search for one that went missing during a training exercise, authorities said Wednesday. The decision removes around 150 planes from Taiwan's skies, leaving the democratic island relying on an even more limited fleet to warn off Chinese jets that have been buzzing it at an unprecedented rate in recent months. The air force said a single-seat F16 flown by a 44-year-old pilot disappeared from radar at an alti ... read more