Context
The Defence Minister undertook a sortie on a Navy P-8I maritime patrol aircraft.
About P-8I maritime aircraft
- The aircraft is manufactured by Boeing.
- The aircraft is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
- It is also used for low altitude, humanitarian, and search and rescue missions.
- The aircraft has two variants — the P-8I, which is developed for the Indian Navy, and the P-8A Poseidon, which is deployed by the US Navy, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
- The P-8I can fly as high as 41,000 feet, and has a short transit time, which reduces the size of the Area of Probability when searching for submarines or search and rescue survivors.
- The aircraft has two engines, and is about 40 metres long, with a wingspan of 37.64 metres.
- The aircraft weighs about 85,000 kg and has a top speed of 789 km/hour.
- It requires a crew of nine, and has a range of 1,200+ nautical miles, with 4 hours on station, which means about 2,222 km.
- The induction of P-8I aircraft in 2013 has significantly enhanced the Indian Navy’s persistent surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- The P-8I’s advanced sensors such as multi-mode radars, electronic intelligence system, sonobuoys, electro-optic, infrared camera and advanced weapons provide the Indian Navy with a very potent platform with significant capability to deter and destroy.
- The aircraft has been deployed along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Line of Actual Control.
