India, US set to seal $4 billion deal for six more P-8I patrol aircraft

India and the United States are closing in on a USD 4 billion agreement for six additional P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, a move that will boost the Indian Navy's surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities in the Indian Ocean.

Top sources told India Today TV that a delegation from the United States will visit Delhi from 16 to 19 September to engage in talks over the six P-8I aircraft. Included in this group will be personnel from the US Department of Defence and delegates from Boeing, which manufactures the P-8I.

The meetings are expected to clarify the final agreement terms, with technical points on both sides to be discussed in detail.

According to sources, the delegation will feature representatives from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, the Navy International Programs Office (NIPO), the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office (PMA-290), and the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). NIPO manages U.S. maritime security partnerships, while PMA-290 oversees the acquisition and support of patrol aircraft worldwide.

Despite the United States imposing high tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil, reports surfaced suggesting that major defence agreements could be withdrawn. However, India Today TV noted that these trade measures had no effect on defence contracts between the two countries.

The Indian Navy's P-8I fleet currently numbers twelve, with the first eight joining in 2009 and four more following in 2016. The Navy’s original request was for ten more units, but approval was given for six in November 2019.

In May 2021, the US State Department authorised this sale. P-8I aircraft are constructed to undertake extended patrols, designed to locate and counter submarines even at considerable depth, further reinforcing India’s network for maritime security.

Chinese naval activity, warships and submarines, has increased noticeably in the Indian Ocean in recent times, under various pretences such as oceanographic research or anti-piracy operations.

The Indian Navy maintains close surveillance of these moves, and experts believe that the arrival of six more P-8Is will raise the reach further.

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to the US in February this year, a joint statement from both governments indicated that agreement on these six aircraft is near, with terms set.

In parallel to new P-8I arrivals, the Indian Navy is set to increase monitoring efforts with thirty-one MQ-9B drones, due by 2029. These unmanned systems will supply live updates over the Indian Ocean, an area crossed by more than fifty naval ships and 20,000 merchant vessels.

Together, the P-8Is and MQ-9Bs are expected to transform India’s maritime domain awareness and strengthen its role in the increasingly contested Indian Ocean.

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