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India eyes $2b defence deal with US-P-8I

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India eyes $2b defence deal with US


NEW DELHI: After joint combat exercises to develop "interoperability", the Indo-US military tango is now firmly waltzing into the arms purchase arena as well. With the over $1-billion deal for six C-130J 'Super Hercules' aircraft in the bag, an even bigger defence contract is now headed the US way.

Sources on Monday said the defence ministry and Boeing have begun the "commercial price negotiations" for the purchase of eight P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) patrol aircraft, with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, for the Indian Navy. Unlike the Super Hercules deal, which as reported by TOI earlier is a direct 'foreign military sale' contract under a government-to-government arrangement, the P-8i has emerged the victor in the global LRMR sweepstakes held by India to plug operational gaps in its maritime snooping abilities.

The P-8i, based on the Boeing-737 commercial airliner, has out-performed the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company's A-319 maritime patrol aircraft and other contenders in meeting 'qualitative requirements' in the technical trials held by the Navy. "The contract will be signed soon. The first P-8i will be delivered within 48 months, that is in mid-2012 and all the eight by mid-2015. They will replace the Navy's eight aging Tupolev-142Ms," said a source.

India, incidentally, had earlier rejected the US offer to lease two P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft under a $133-million contract. India, of course, remains unhappy over the American decision to sell eight more P-3C Orion aircraft to Pakistan, which already has two such planes in its inventory. Once it's inked, the P-8i deal worth around $2 billion will be the biggest-ever defence contract with the US, a minor player in the lucrative Indian arms market so far.

While Russia notches up sales worth about $1.5 billion to India every year, Israel chalks up an annual tally of around $1 billion. America's only big-ticket deal with India in recent years has been the $190 million contract in 2002 to supply 12 AN/TPQ-37 firefinder weapon-locating radars.

Then, of course, India last year acquired amphibious transport vessel USS Trenton for $48.23 million, with the six UH-3H helicopters to operate from it costing another $39 million. With India spending a whopping $25 billion on arms imports since the 1999 Kargil conflict, and planning another $30 billion worth in 2007-2012, the US is obviously desperate to grab a big piece of action. It has been particularly aggressive in marketing its F/A-18 "Super Hornets" (Boeing) and F-16 "Falcons" (Lockheed Martin) for the gigantic $10.4-billion project to supply 126 multi-role combat fighters to IAF.

Apart from the defence deals, with US secretary of defence Robert Gates slated to arrive in India on February 25-26, the two countries are getting ready to sign agreements like the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the end-use verification agreement of US defence equipment. The Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) — under which Indian and American militaries propose to provide each other with logistic support, refuelling and berthing facilities for each other's warships and aircraft — has, however, been put on the backburner due to opposition of the Left.

CPM leader Prakash Karat has termed LSA "far more dangerous than the nuclear deal" in its implications(LOL). But despite Left opposition to military ties with the US, the two nations have already scheduled at least five joint combat exercises in 2008. "Procurements is just one facet in the overall robust defence engagement with the US. The American forces, for instance, now want to further scale up the level and complexity of exercises with Indian forces. Brigade-level exercises will be in place in four-five years," said a source.

India eyes $2b defence deal with US-India-The Times of India
 
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The P-8I is the next generation LRMR. It will be a hell of a boost to our navy if we get it.
 
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The P-8A Poseidon aircraft will replace the US Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.

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Assumption regarding deliveries is very wrong since as per Boeing, The planned Initial Operational Capability (IOC) date for the P-8A Poseidon is 2013.

By far a better platform than P-3C Orions, but the modification on P-3C Orions bring them on Par with P-8A electronic suit and all plus. Thou P-8A has more potential than P-3C as a platform.

If such a deal happens, it will give a qualitative edge to India in Maritime Patrol and surveillance.


Naval Technology - P-8A Poseidon - Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA), USA
 
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US Arms Export Agreements a Sticking Point for India
22-Apr-2008 16:58 EDT

Rumors are flying that India is set to sign a $2.2 billion deal with Boeing for 8 P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, and American companies are competing like never before in critical defense competitions like the $10+ billion medium multi-role fighter bid. The process of working through foreign defense sales is far more complex than simply winning competitions, or even establishing an industrial network within your target market. In societies with accountable governments, the arms trade comes under a number of key regulations, and government to government agreements that lay out key terms are critical in order to lay the framework for industrial cooperation and sales.

One aspect of arms sales regulations that’s quite common at present is restrictions on what a country may do with the equipment it buys. Prohibitions on second-hand sales with approval of the exporting country are routine inclusions, even by regimes that have no political compunctions about selling weapons to anyone. After all, as tech firms like Cisco and Sun found out during the fot-com crash, having your high-end hardware sold at steep discounts on eBay does terrible things to the bottom line. Many accountable governments have also been pushed into offering a second kind of restriction, however: restrictions on what the purchasing country can do with the equipment, even within its own borders. The need of any machine for maintenance provides sufficient leverage to ensure cooperation, but countries like Indonesia and Chad are becoming restive – and as international equipment options continue to broaden, some countries liek Indonesia are even switching suppliers on that basis.

Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta recently expressed similar sentiments with respect to side agreements the USA is requesting, and whose absence is slowing down the growing military relationship between the 2 countries…

The agreements in question are the Mutual Logistic Support Agreement (MLSA), the Communications Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CIS MoA) and the End Use Monitoring Agreement (EUMA). All contain restrictive clauses, but the EUMA appears to be most controversial.

India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) tabled a parliamentary report in March 2008 that criticized the LPD-14 Trenton/ INS Jalashva “hot transfer”, for instance, despite the deal’s rock-bottom cost of under $40 million for an amphibious transport and landing ship whose capability is critical to India’s military and disaster-relief posture.

“Restrictive clauses raise doubts about the real advantages from this deal… For example, (there are) restrictions on the offensive deployment of the ship and permission to the (US) government to conduct an inspection and inventory of all articles transferred under the end-use monitoring clause of the LOA (Letter of Offer and Acceptance issued by the US government).”

An NDTV report quoted Mehta as saying that INS Jalashava had no restrictions on deployment, but the navy chief took a firm position against any other deal or agreement that might impose such restrictions:

“The US may have this kind of (end user) agreements with everyone. I don’t believe in that. We pay for something and we get some technology. What I do with it, is my thing.’‘

Given the strategic focus the USA has placed on relations with India, and the scope of the opportunity, diplomacy and negotiations are underway to iron out these disagreements in a manner acceptable to both parties. An unidentified Indian official told NDTV that:

”[The Americans] are prepared to meet us more than halfway to address our concerns. There is no hard line on this. Perhaps we can give them guarantees or access to records [instead on on-site inspections]. We have sent a draft to the US and our embassy in Washington will now take the process forward.”

US Arms Export Agreements a Sticking Point for India

This is latest news posted on the web regarding P-8I.
Regards,
 
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Navy likely to base its long-range surveillance planes in TN

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is likely to base its newly acquired long-range maritime surveillance aircraft P8-I at one of its air bases in Tamil Nadu.

"We are planning to base our P-8Is at Naval Air Station Rajali at Arakonnam replacing the Russian Tupolov 142s now used by us," Navy officials said here.

The P-8Is have been procured by the Indian Navy to replace the Tu-142 fleet inducted into the Navy in 80s. The Navy will start developing the infrastructure at the base to host ten aircraft.

"The Rajali base has a long runway at present used by the Tu-142s. More infrastructure will be created for the P8-Is which are expected to arrive in 2013," they said.

Deployment and usage, officials said, of the P-8I was discussed by the senior Naval officers during the Naval Commanders' conference in Vishakhapatanam.

The process to acquire the long-range maritime surveillance aircraft was on for the past few years and on January 1 this year, the Defence Ministry signed an agreement worth USD 2.1 billion with United States defence major Boeing for procuring eight P-8Is.

These aircraft will form a part of the outermost surveillance ring of the Navy to patrol the 7,516 km-long coastline of the country.

The Navy is also planning to procure medium range maritime reconnaissance aircraft to carry out patrols in areas around 200 nautical miles from the coastline and is carrying out technical evaluation of aircraft offered in response to its global Request for Proposal (RFP) issued last year.

The Navy also uses its Dornier aircraft for carrying out medium range missions along with its Israeli Heron unmanned
aerial vehicles.

The P-8I is a multi-mission maritime aircraft nicknamed 'submarine hunter' and can be used effectively against surface
ships also.

Based on the Boeing 737 commercial aircraft airframe, P-8I is a variant of the American P-8A 'Poseidon' expected to
be inducted in the US Navy around 2012.
 
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Rollout of Boeing P-8A Poseidon ceremony on thursday​


P-8A_rollout_blog.jpg

U.S. Navy sailors look over the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton. The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.​




A crowd gathers around a new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the rollout ceremony for the plane on Thursday July 30, 2009 at the Boeing plant in Renton.​



Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire speaks to an audience with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon in the background during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​



U.S. Navy sailors look over the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​




Officials, including Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and Jim Albaugh, chief executive officer of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, stand in front of a new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the plane's rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​



Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of Navy operations, speaks during the rollout ceremony for the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon at the Boeing plant in Renton. The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.​




U.S. Navy sailors look over the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​




The nose of the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon is shown during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​
 
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Scott Carson, president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaks during the rollout ceremony for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon at the Boeing plant in Renton.​



U.S. Navy sailors look over the new Boeing P-8A Poseidon during the rollout ceremony for the plane at the Boeing plant in Renton.​



The new Boeing P-8A Poseidon is shown during the rollout ceremony for the plane on Thursday July 30, 2009 at the Boeing plant in Renton.​
 
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The delivery of first plane is schedule for early 2013

As they signed the deal on 1st January 2009 and have to deliver first aircraft within 48 months of contract signing, so I think it is late 2012 instead of 2013. All the aircrafts will be in IN service by 2015.

The Indian navy is the first international customer for the P-8. Boeing signed a contract Jan. 1, 2009 to deliver eight long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the Indian navy. Boeing will deliver the first P-8I within 48 months of contract signing, and the remaining seven by 2015.

India’s immediate need is for eight aircraft, but Boeing believes there is long-term potential for additional aircraft sales.

Boeing India Home: P-8I
 
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I'm going to Renton tomorrow to have lunch at the Chang's Mongolian BBQ grill. I'll go check out the plane if I have time to see what India is getting.
 
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can we arm P8 with anti ship missiles ? or it just use for anti sub. warfare ?
 
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