Amid increasing activities of Pakistan and Chinese navies in the Arabian Sea and nearby waters, the Indian Navy has now deployed its frontline P-8I anti-submarine warfare and surveillance aircraft on the Western seaboard in Goa giving a boost to its snooping capabilities in that area.
The P-8I aircraft was welcomed at the naval airbase by two MiG-29K naval fighter aircraft.
“The Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I aircraft commenced operations from INS Hansa in Goa on Tuesday, with two aircraft arriving on December 30, 2021,” an Indian Navy spokesperson said. The aircraft were inducted after the fitment of indigenous equipment and Flight Acceptance Trials, the Navy said.
Indian Navy had acquired the first batch of eight P-8I aircraft in 2013 that are stationed at INS Rajali, Arakkonam. “The second batch of four additional aircraft will be based at Indian Naval Air Squadron 316, to be commissioned at INS Hansa,” the Navy said.
In recent times, the Pakistani and Chinese Navy has been holding a lot of hardware cooperation along with joint exercises in the region. Indian Navy’s move to deploy the P-8I surveillance aircraft is being seen as a significant move in this backdrop.
Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8I aircraft commenced operations from INS Hansa, Goa with two aircraft arriving on 30 December 2021. The aircraft were inducted after fitment of indigenous equipment and Flight Acceptance Trials: Indian Navy pic.twitter.com/ThlI92l55F
— SSBCrackExams (@SSBCrackExams) January 4, 2022
