Boeing [BA] signed a contract earlier this month to build eight P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy, according to the company.
The P-8I is a variant of Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon that is being developed for the U.S. Navy.
Boeing signed the P-8I contract Jan. 1, 2009, Ellen LeMond, a Boeing spokeswoman told sister publication Defense Daily.
No other specifics about the contract were available.
“The Indian Navy asks that Boeing not discuss any details of the contract including value,” she said.
Work had already begun on the aircraft. However, LeMond noted it is too early to begin talking about production or delivery schedules.
The first P-8I will be delivered in early 2013 with the remaining seven aircraft by 2015, according to Boeing.
The aircraft will be built on the same assembly line in Renton, Wash., that Boeing is building the P-8A.
“Boeing has adequate capacity on the assembly line in Renton to accommodate assembly of international aircraft,” LeMond said.
While the mission systems proposed in the P-8I fully address the unique requirements of the Indian navy, Boeing has attempted to leverage the work it is doing for the U.S. Navy to capture some cost savings, LeMond said.
“The two navies requirements differ and so do the mission systems, but we have tried to capture as much of the cost savings as possible for the Indian navy, by leveraging a great deal of the work that has been done on the P-8A program,” she said.
The P-8I can operate effectively over land or water while performing anti-submarine warfare missions; search and rescue; maritime interdiction; and long-range intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, according to Boeing.
The P-8I provides India with speed, reliability, persistence and room for growth to satisfy the country’s requirements now and well into the future. The aircraft features an open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment, the company said.
India is not the only country that has expressed interest in Boeing’s long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft, LeMond added.
“There has been significant interest expressed by a variety of countries that currently operate other maritime patrol aircraft, specifically Australia, Canada, and Italy to name a few,” she said.
The U.S. Navy plans to purchase 108 P-8As to replace its fleet of Lockheed Martin [LMT] P-3C aircraft. Initial operational capability is slated for 2013 (Defense Daily, July 2).
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems and Boeing Commercial Airplanes are working together to build the P-8A, a military derivative of the 737-800, on a new, third final assembly production line in Renton.
The P-8A is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman [NOC], Raytheon [RTN], Spirit AeroSystems and General Electric [GE] Aviation. Under the current system development and demonstration contract, the team will build five test vehicles: three flight-test and two ground-test aircraft. Delivery of the first test aircraft to the Navy and first flight are scheduled for 2009 (Defense Daily, April 7).