Boeing's maritime surveillance planes to be based at Goa

New Delhi, March 28

The Navy has now based the US-origin multi-role long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft on the west coast.

8 vessels for coast guard soon

• The MoD has signed a contract with Goa Shipyard Ltd for construction of 8 fast patrol vessels for Indian Coast Guard for Rs473 crore
• These surface platforms will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by the GSL
• The high-speed vessels will be based along the coast of India with capability to operate in shallow waters and enhance the security apparatus along the coastline

The plane made by Boeing known as the ‘P-8I’ will be based at Goa for the first time. The P-8I fleet of eight planes, acquired in 2013, is based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, near Chennai on the east coast.

A new Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 will be formally commissioned at INS Hansa, Goa, on Tuesday and have the second batch of four P-8I aircraft acquired in the past couple of years.

This will be the Navy’s second ‘P-8l’ squadron. Admiral R Hari Kumar, Navy Chief, will be present at the ceremony.

The aircraft powered by twin jet engines is equipped with air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes. This adds teeth to the armour of the Navy, to deter, detect and destroy any threat in the Indian Ocean region.

The abilities of the plane were fully exploited during the stand off with China along the Line of Actual Control. Its imagery provided live-feed to commanders on ground.