SEATTLE, 16 Nov. 2013. Boeing [NYSE:BA] has delivered a second P-8I aircraft to India, effectively doubling the Indian Navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Boeing is building eight P-8I aircraft for India; the first was delivered in-country in May 2013. The P-8I aircraft, based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon, which Boeing developed for the U.S. Navy.
The aircraft just delivered will begin flight trials in the coming months. The first P-8I recently completed testing its weapons capabilities, including firing a Boeing Harpoon missile at a target and dropping a torpedo.
"With two aircraft at Naval Station Rajali now, the Indian Navy will get a good feel for the P-8I's interoperability with other aircraft," says Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I program manager. "Acceptance trials on the first aircraft are progressing well and its availability for testing has been excellent, in large part due to Boeing’s worldwide 737 support capabilities."
In order to efficiently design and build the P-8I and the P-8A, the Boeing-led team is using a first-in-industry, in-line production process that draws on the company’s Next-Generation 737 production system.
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.
Boeing India’s corporate office is in New Delhi.
