Boeing begins work on India's P-8I naval patrol aircraft

"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.

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.

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.

The panel and other fuselage components would come together on Spirit's existing 737 production line, the statement said.

"Today marks the P-8I program's move from the design phase to the build phase," said Leland Wight, Boeing P-8I programme manager.

"We are on schedule and the Indian navy is looking forward to receiving its first plane," he said.

Spirit will ship the P-8I fuselage to a Boeing Commercial Airplanes facility in Renton near Washington in mid-2011 for final assembly.

After that, Boeing Defense, Space and Security employees would install mission systems and complete testing prior to delivery to India.

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.

"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.

"We have built seven P-8A fuselages to date and continue to increase efficiency as we move forward," he added.

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.

"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.

"The aircraft features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment," the statement added.