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NEW DELHI: The Navy got the first of its eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, armed with deadly missiles, rockets and torpedoes for potent anti-warship and anti-submarine warfare, which were contracted for $2.1 billion in 2009.
The first P-8I was handed over to an Indian naval team at the Boeing facility at Seattle in US on Wednesday. Once the second and third aircraft are also delivered, the naval team will fly the three to India in May-June.
With the other five slated to be progressively inducted by 2015, India is also negotiating the acquisition of another four P-8I to add to the eight earlier ordered. With an operating range of around 1,200 nautical miles, the dozen P-8Is will patrol the outermost layer of India's three-tier maritime surveillance grid.
Navy is also slated to get nine medium-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, which with a range of 350 nautical miles will act as India's "intelligent eyes and ears" over Indian Ocean in the medium range. Israeli spy drones like Heron and Searcher-II as well as Dorniers make up the innermost surveillance layer.
India is stepping up acquisition of its naval air assets as well as warships to take care of its primary area of strategic interest stretching from Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait. The country also has a vast 5,422-km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone to guard against all threats.
Navy gets first long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft - The Times of India
The first P-8I was handed over to an Indian naval team at the Boeing facility at Seattle in US on Wednesday. Once the second and third aircraft are also delivered, the naval team will fly the three to India in May-June.
With the other five slated to be progressively inducted by 2015, India is also negotiating the acquisition of another four P-8I to add to the eight earlier ordered. With an operating range of around 1,200 nautical miles, the dozen P-8Is will patrol the outermost layer of India's three-tier maritime surveillance grid.
Navy is also slated to get nine medium-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, which with a range of 350 nautical miles will act as India's "intelligent eyes and ears" over Indian Ocean in the medium range. Israeli spy drones like Heron and Searcher-II as well as Dorniers make up the innermost surveillance layer.
India is stepping up acquisition of its naval air assets as well as warships to take care of its primary area of strategic interest stretching from Persian Gulf to Malacca Strait. The country also has a vast 5,422-km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone to guard against all threats.
Navy gets first long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft - The Times of India
