Boeing delivers sixth P-8I maritime patrol plane to India

Boeing has delivered the sixth P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to India, where it will be used by the Indian Navy.

The plane arrived at Naval Air Station Rajali on schedule on Tuesday, the company said.

The P-8I is part of a 2009 contract for eight of the planes, which are based on the Boeing 737 commercial airplane.

Spirit AeroSystems builds the 737s fuselage and other components in Wichita and wing components in Tulsa.

The P-8I is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseiden built for the U.S. Navy.

The P-8I includes India-unique design features, Indian-built sub-systems, an open systems architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment, Boeing said.

“We have a great partnership with India, which has helped us keep the program on schedule and on budget,” Mark Jordan, Boeing P-8 International program manager, said in a statement.

Boeing’s commercial airplanes have been a mainstay of India’s civil aviation sector.

More recently, its military aircraft have started to play an important role in the modernization and mission-readiness of India’s defense forces, Boeing said.

Boeing has been increasingly engaged in the Indian aerospace sector by developing local suppliers and business partnerships.

This story was originally published November 25, 2014 at 10:53 AM with the headline "Boeing delivers sixth P-8I maritime patrol plane to India."