India moves to buy 6 more Poseidons from US for $1.8bn

NEW DELHI: India has kicked off the acquisition process for six more long-range Poseidon-8I aircraft from the US, while a plan is also under way for fast-track procurement of six Predator-B armed drones amid the ongoing military confrontation with China.
India is extensively using the naval P-8I patrol planes, packed with radars and electrooptic sensors, Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes, for surveillance missions over Indian Ocean as well as eastern Ladakh.
The Navy had inducted eight Boeing-manufactured P-8Is under a $2.1 billion deal inked in January 2009, while the next four will be delivered from December onwards under another $1.1 billion contract signed in July 2016. Top defence sources on Friday said the ‘letter of request’ for six more P-8Is for around $1.8 billion has been issued to US for the government-to-government deal under Pentagon’s foreign military sales programme.
“The US will soon send the ‘letter of acceptance’ after congressional approval. The contract should be inked by early next year,” a source said.