P-8I is empowering Aatmanirbhar Bharat in maritime surveillance
Alain Garcia
Boeing has been a steadfast partner in India’s aerospace and defence sector for over 80 years, contributing significantly to the country’s aviation industry and bolstering its defence forces’ modernisation and mission readiness. Celebrating over a decade since the Indian Navy received its first P-8I aircraft, this milestone symbolises the beginning of an enduring alliance that has significantly contributed to an enhanced maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. With a fleet of twelve aircraft operational in the Indian Navy, the P-8I fleet has surpassed 40,000 flight hours, consistently maintaining high readiness rates. These aircraft have played a pivotal role in reconnaissance and surveillance across the Indo-Pacific region.
Fostering Aatmanirbhar Bharat: P-8I’s Impact
Boeing’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat is unwavering. We have achieved substantial indigenization in the manufacturing and sustainment of the P-8I, with an economic impact of USD1.7 billion already generated to support the current fleet. Furthermore, Boeing envisions that increasing the P-8I fleet to 18 aircraft will increase investments, approximately USD 1.5 billion, while creating further indigenization opportunities within India’s aerospace and defence sector by 2032. This alignment seamlessly integrates with the nation’s objectives of achieving self-reliance and economic advancement.
Boeing’s focus extends to fostering an indigenous supplier network in India, currently comprising 15 Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, integral to Boeing’s global supply chain, supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Notably, Indian suppliers like Dynamatic Technologies, responsible for P-8 Cabinets, and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), contributing to the IFF (Identify Friend/Foe) and speech secrecy system, play a critical role in building essential components for the P-8 platform, further strengthening India’s self-reliance in the aerospace sector.
Building Network for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
Boeing’s role in maintaining high mission readiness involves providing essential support and positioning field service representatives at INS Rajali and INS Hansa on a 24x7x365 basis. Advanced training facilities like the Ashok Roy Training Simulator Complex at INS Rajali and the Kochi training complex reduce on-aircraft training time, enhancing mission proficiency for the Indian Navy.
In 2021, Boeing inaugurated the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) Hub, fostering partnerships with indigenous partners like Horizon Aerospace, Air Works, and AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL). These collaborations augment India’s MRO capabilities, aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and spurring economic growth in the sector. Recently, Air Works successfully concluded Phase 32 maintenance checks on eight P-8I aircraft operated by the Indian Navy (IN). Three of them were in heavy maintenance checks concurrently, demonstrating a maturity and scale at par with developed global MRO hubs.
Boeing’s investments, supplier network expansion, and establishment of MRO capabilities embody a long-term commitment to ensuring the success of India’s armed forces, exemplifying India’s self-reliance and global aerospace prowess through the soaring success of the P-8I aircraft.
Fostering Co-Development:
Boeing is committed to supporting the need for a future-ready workforce that is diverse, entrepreneurial, agile in mindset, and is ready to take on the next wave of growth while serving the changing aerospace and defence dynamics in India for India, and the world. Started in 2016, the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) has since made substantial investments to develop indigenous capabilities and support both local and global Aerospace and Defence customers through advanced aerospace work.
BIETC houses over 4,500 engineers and technologists across Bengaluru and Chennai encompassing capabilities in design engineering for aircraft structures and systems, production engineering, developing systems to test aircraft, and providing digital solutions to customers. In India, Boeing is driving innovation that is transforming the aerospace and defence sector, and we are proud that our team here is now an integral part of the Boeing global engineering ecosystem. Boeing is investing USD200M in a new 43-acre state-of-the-art wholly-owned engineering and technology campus in Bengaluru. This will be Boeing’s largest facility of its kind outside the US.
In propelling India towards self-reliance and global aerospace prominence, Boeing remains committed to fostering innovation, collaboration, and technological advancement. With a relentless focus on indigenous capabilities, bolstering the MRO network, and nurturing co-development initiatives, Boeing’s partnership with India’s aerospace and defence sector continues to evolve.
(The writer is vice president, India Business Development, Boeing Defense, Space and Security)