Major global defence aircraft supplier, US-based Boeing may be poised to bag the Indian order for eight maritime patrol planes.
Industry officials expressed confidence that the Boeing P-8i Poseidons long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) patrol aircraft would be selected over their rivals, in what could signal a further strengthening of India?s defence engagement with America.
A high-level delegation from the company is coming to India in the end of March, and is likely to sign the $2 billion, eight-aircraft agreement with the Indian Navy. The ?commercial price negotiations? between the ministry of defence (MoD) and Boeing officials, for the direct ?foreign military sale? contract under a government-to-government arrangement, concluded recently.
The P-8i, based on the Boeing-737 commercial airliner, was competing with the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS)?s A-319 maritime patrol aircraft and other contenders in meeting ?qualitative requirements? in the technical trials held by the Navy. The P-8i, a customised version for the Indian Navy, is based on the hugely successful Boeing-737 commercial airliner. The navy had, in November 2006, expressed an interest in the aircraft as a replacement for its existing fleet of Il-38 aircraft. The navy has also sought details from Lockheed Martin about the P3C Orion aircraft, which the Pakistan Navy currently uses.
The Indian Navy plans to initially buy eight aircrafts and possibly a few more, later. ?Under the contract that is expected to be inked soon, the first P-8i will be delivered within 48 months, that is, in mid-2012 and all the eight by mid-2015. These machines would replace the eight Tupolev-142Ms,? a source said.