Over the years, Indian P-8I crews have developed joint exercises and communication protocols with their foreign counterparts.
By Vikas Gupta
Defence News of India, 30 Mar 22
Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 (INAS 316), the Navy’s second squadron equipped with four Boeing P-8Is, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Goa on Tuesday.
INAS 316 was dubbed “Condors”, named after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan, excellent sensory capabilities and powerful talons that symbolize the capabilities of the aircraft. The badge of the new squadron depicts a “Condor” searching the vast blue expanse of the sea.
The Indian Navy’s first P-8I squadron was fielded with eight aircraft at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu in November 2015. India was the first international customer for the P-8I in January 2009, when it signed a contract with Boeing for eight P-8Is for $2.17 billion, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
The P-8 is also operated by the US Navy, Royal Australian Air Force, UK Royal Air Force and Royal Norwegian Air Force.
In 2016, India The Ministry of Defense (MoD) contracted for four more P-8Is under an options clause in the first contract. these aircraft have been operating from INS Hansa since their delivery in December 2021.
The commissioning ceremony in Goa was delivered by the Chief of Navy, Admiral R Hari Kumar, who said, “India is the ‘preferred security partner’ in the Indian Ocean region ( IOR). This reflects our country’s ability to play an effective strategic role in the region and the need to expand its operational reach.
The Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft that INAS 316 will operate is a long range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare aircraft (LRMR ASW), which is equipped with an array of air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes.
The aircraft, widely recognized as the deadliest LRMR-ASW aircraft in the world. It is a derivative of the Boeing 737-800 airliner, equipped with a plethora of sensors and weapons, which make it a powerful platform for maritime surveillance and attack, missions electronic warfare, search and rescue, and providing targeting data to other weapons platforms. It is also the platform of choice for detecting and neutralizing enemy ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean region.
P-8I Poseidons played an important role in the two-year standoff on the Ladakh border with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), stealthily reconnoitring Chinese positions and taking over PLA deployments in rear areas .
The aircraft’s sensors include a Raytheon multi-mode radar to detect aircraft, surface ships and submarines, while another belly-mounted radar looks rearward like an electronic rear-view mirror. A “magnetic anomaly detector” on the tail of the P-8I detects submarines from the magnetic field created by large masses of metal (such as submarine hulls).
Hostile submarines, once detected, are destroyed by shipborne Harpoon missiles or Mark 54 torpedoes. Alternatively, targets are digitally “handed off” to friendly warships or submarines, which complete the job.
Over the years and in joint naval exercises such as Exercise Malabar, Indian P-8I crews have developed joint exercises and communication protocols with their foreign counterparts that allow them to take quick and deadly action against warships and hostile submarines.
To enhance this interoperability, India has entered into joint agreements with partner countries, such as the United States. These include the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and the Basic Geospatial Cooperation Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA).
INAS 316 is commanded by Commander Amit Mohapatra, a Boeing P-8I pilot with extensive operational experience.
