Boeing rolls out P-8A Poseidon; India to be the first buyer

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jul 31 (PTI) American aviation giant Boeing
Friday rolled out its first 'P-8A Poseidon', claiming it to be
the world's most advanced multi-mission maritime patrol and
reconnaissance aircraft, with the Company saying that India
would be its first buyer country.

India has ordered eight P-8Is, a derivative of the
American version, the first of which Boeing will deliver
within 48 months of the contract being signed. The rest seven
aircraft would be delivered by 2015, filling a wide gap in
India's maritime reconnaissance capability, hit by crashes of
its Russian built aircraft.

The Indian RFP (request for proposal) which is
awaiting a formal nod from the Cabinet Committee on Security
calls for delivery of eight aircraft over a four-year period.

Though the Indian version is a variant of the just
rolled out P-8A Poseidon, Boeing officials said the mission
system of the Indian aircraft have been made to address the
unique requirements tailored by the Indian Navy.

"In fact, the Indian variant of the world's newest
aircraft leverages a great deal of the work done on the
American aircraft," the officials said.

Boeing officials also said though the two Navy's
requirements differ and so do the mission systems, but the
Indian variant efforts have been made to capture as much
cost-savings as possible for the Indian Navy. PTI LKJ
AM
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