<p>"The Boeing P-8I team began fabricating the first part for the Indian Navy's first long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft on December 6," a statement from Boeing said here today.<br /><br />The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the US Navy.<br /><br />Employees at Spirit AeroSystems -- where all Boeing 737 fuselages, nacelles and pylons are designed and built -- cut the P-8I's first part, a bonded aluminium panel that later would be installed on the fuselage's upper lobe to support an antenna.<br /><br />The panel and other fuselage components would come together on Spirit's existing 737 production line, the statement said.<br /><br />"Today marks the P-8I program's move from the design phase to the build phase," said Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I programme manager.<br /><br />"We are on schedule and the Indian navy is looking forward to receiving its first plane," he said.<br /><br />Spirit will ship the P-8I fuselage to a Boeing Commercial Airplanes facility in Renton near Washington in mid-2011 for final assembly.<br /><br />After that, Boeing Defense, Space and Security employees would install mission systems and complete testing prior to delivery to India.<br /><br />India had placed the orders for the eight aircraft too boost its maritime patrol role in early 2009 and the deal is said to be worth USD 2.1 billion.<br /><br />"P-8I fuselage sections are designed and built using the same processes we use on the commercial 737," said Mike King, Spirit AeroSystems Fuselage Segment senior vice president cum general manager.<br /><br />"We have built seven P-8A fuselages to date and continue to increase efficiency as we move forward," he added.<br /><br />Boeing will deliver the first of eight P-8I aircraft to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, which took place in January 2009. India is the first international customer for the P-8 platform.<br /><br />"The P-8I will provide India with speed, reliability, persistence and room for growth to satisfy the country's maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare requirements now and well into the future.<br /><br />"The aircraft features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment," the statement added.</p>
<p>"The Boeing P-8I team began fabricating the first part for the Indian Navy's first long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft on December 6," a statement from Boeing said here today.<br /><br />The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the US Navy.<br /><br />Employees at Spirit AeroSystems -- where all Boeing 737 fuselages, nacelles and pylons are designed and built -- cut the P-8I's first part, a bonded aluminium panel that later would be installed on the fuselage's upper lobe to support an antenna.<br /><br />The panel and other fuselage components would come together on Spirit's existing 737 production line, the statement said.<br /><br />"Today marks the P-8I program's move from the design phase to the build phase," said Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I programme manager.<br /><br />"We are on schedule and the Indian navy is looking forward to receiving its first plane," he said.<br /><br />Spirit will ship the P-8I fuselage to a Boeing Commercial Airplanes facility in Renton near Washington in mid-2011 for final assembly.<br /><br />After that, Boeing Defense, Space and Security employees would install mission systems and complete testing prior to delivery to India.<br /><br />India had placed the orders for the eight aircraft too boost its maritime patrol role in early 2009 and the deal is said to be worth USD 2.1 billion.<br /><br />"P-8I fuselage sections are designed and built using the same processes we use on the commercial 737," said Mike King, Spirit AeroSystems Fuselage Segment senior vice president cum general manager.<br /><br />"We have built seven P-8A fuselages to date and continue to increase efficiency as we move forward," he added.<br /><br />Boeing will deliver the first of eight P-8I aircraft to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, which took place in January 2009. India is the first international customer for the P-8 platform.<br /><br />"The P-8I will provide India with speed, reliability, persistence and room for growth to satisfy the country's maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare requirements now and well into the future.<br /><br />"The aircraft features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment," the statement added.</p>