New Delhi: The world’s fourth most powerful country India is ready to add submarine hunter P-8I to the defence squad. Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft will land at INS Hansa in October.
Over the submarine hunter P-8I, the naval official said “the arrival of the multi-role aircraft from the US will enhance the aerial balance and sub-surface surveillance in India’s favour,”
As per the information, The Indian Navy already operates eight P-8I aircraft that are based at INS Rajali.
Naval officials in Delhi said “Hansa is the base where the Indian Navy’s tryst with maritime surveillance began and after landing at INS Hansa, the P-8I will fly to INS Rajali for a temporary deployment,”
The Indian Navy had ordered eight P-8I jets in January 2009 and after seeing the aircraft’s performance, India had ordered four more aircrafts in 2016. This is the first aircraft from the follow-on contract.
The former chief of naval staff admiral Arun Prakash said that “It is a multi-role aircraft as it can track and even attack submarines and surface ships. It is a very potent aircraft and a generation ahead of Pakistan, which is still with the P-3 Orion, a turboprop aircraft,”
A new latest P-8I can fly at a maximum speed of 789 km/h and its operating range is about 1,200 nautical miles.
A retired captain DK Sharma said “This aircraft flies at 40,000 feet, which gives it a longer range and this means that India’s area of influence is much bigger. We must remember that we have hegemonic and expansionist neighbours,”
China has established its presence at ports of Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran and East African countries, which could be a threat to India and now India could deploy its new P-8I to reduce the Chinese presence in Indian Ocean.
India used this long range maritime surveillance aircraft when China created an issue at Doklam in 2017 and an on-going standoff with China in Ladakh.
_Vinayak