India's first P-81 maritime recce aircraft reaches final assembly
22 Jun 2011
Renton, USA: Defence contractor Boeing Co has begun final assembly of the Indian Navy's first P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft this month at the company's Renton facility. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the US Navy.
It is based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane platform.
Assembly work has commenced following delivery of the plane's fuselage and Boeing workers have begun installing systems, wires and other small parts.
The P-8I's engines and wings will be installed later this summer.
The P-8I is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.
This military derivative of the Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.
