India has been preparing for any potential confrontation with China in the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In a move to advance its defences in the Indian Ocean, India plans to acquire six more long-range Poseidon-8I (P-8I) submarine hunter aircraft costing around $1.8 billion from the United States, as reported by The Times of India.
The P-8I is manufactured by Boeing, and India already has eight P-8I aircraft in active service used for surveillance missions over the Indian Ocean. India is also using the P-8I in the eastern Ladakh sector for surveillance of Chinese activities.
The P-8I has long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. It is a true multi-mission aircraft. It has radars and electro-optic sensors besides being armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles. Furthermore, the MK-54 lightweight torpedoes making it an important weapon system that plays a crucial role in being the eyes of the Indian Navy over the vast Indian Ocean carrying out critical maritime operations. This aircraft gives India’s naval warriors a significant edge in the strategically important Indian Ocean region and, right the navy, has received eight, making the Indian Navy’s P-8 fleet the second largest in the world. Another four aircraft are on-schedule to be delivered in 2020.
India has started the process of acquiring six more such aircraft and a ‘letter of request’ has been issued to the US for a government-to-government deal under the Pentagon’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme.