Why is it in news?

The Indian Navy is considering the acquisition of more Boeing P-8I aircraft for surveillance and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

Details

• Admiral Lanba said air surveillance capability was an important subset of naval operations and that while the proposal was on the table, he could not disclose the required numbers.
• His predecessors have spoken of a requirement of 30 Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft, under which the Navy has already inducted eight aircraft and placed an order for four more.
• Because of the overall tardy process of routine modernisation of the armed forces over the last 30 years, the Navy has not been able to renew its inventory of submarines but the acquisition of the P-8I (I stands for India) has given it a very strong offensive capability to hunt hostile submarines.
• P-8I is capable of thrusting a punitive response and maintaining a watch over India’s immediate and extended areas of interest.

About Boeing P-81

• The P-8I, often referred to as the “submarine killer”, is perhaps the most advanced system that any of the three Indian services have acquired in recent years.
• The Boeing P-8 Poseidon (formerly the Multimission Maritime Aircraft or MMA) has been developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX.
• P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, along with an early warning self-protection (EWSP) ability, otherwise known as electronic support measures (ESM).[8] This involves carrying torpedoes, depth charges, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and other weapons. It is able to drop and monitor sonobuoys. It is designed to operate in conjunction with the Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle.
• The P-8 is operated by the U.S. Navy, the Indian Navy (as the P-8I Neptune), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The aircraft has been ordered by the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF), and the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).
• The aircraft was deployed in 2013 by the Indian Navy around the same time the U.S. Navy did.

Source

The Hindu