India signs biggest ever defence deal with US

New Delhi: In a sign of deepening strategic ties, India has inked a USD 2.1 billion deal with the US to buy eight Boeing P-8 Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft for its Navy.

This is India’s biggest ever defence deal with the US. According to reports, the deal was signed on January 1 by Preeti Sudan, Indian Defence Ministry’s Joint Secretary and and Boeing integrated defence systems vice-president and country head Vivek Lall.

The P-8 is a modification of the P-8A Poseidon Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft currently being developed for US Navy. It is a tailored version for the Indian Navy.

The aircraft will bolster Indian Navy’s maritime patrolling capabilities and extend its reach upto 600 nautical miles. It is fitted with weapons like torpedoes, depth bombs and anti-ship missiles.

The Indian Navy currently has eight Russian Tupolev-142M Turboprops.

The first P-81 is expected to be delivered by 2012-end or early-2013. The rest will be delivered by 2016.

In November 2006, the Indian Navy had expressed an interest in the aircraft as a replacement for its existing fleet of IL-38 aircraft that are nearing the end of their service life.