Navy to buy Rs 1,949 crore training simulator
Another four P-81 aircraft have been ordered, the delivery of which will begin in 2020.
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry has okayed the procurement P-8I training simulators from Boeing at a cost of Rs 1,949.32 crore.
The training solution will come with a 10-year comprehensive maintenance service and will accurately simulate P-8I aircraft and mission systems so as to help the Indian Navy train and realistically rehearse for sophisticated missions involving P-8I aircraft, at a fraction of the cost of live aircraft training, a government release said.
After being first inducted in 2013, India now has eight aircraft, based at Tamil Nadu’s Naval Air Station at Rajali, which have been fully integrated into Indian naval operations. Another four P-81 aircraft have been ordered, the delivery of which will begin in 2020.
The P-8I aircraft, which is the Indian Navy variant of the P-8A Poseidon that the American defence has developed for the US Navy, is equipped for long range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of broad area, maritime and littoral operations. Its communication and sensor suite includes indigenous equipment developed by defence PSUs and private manufacturers. The aircraft is capable of thrusting a punitive response and maintaining a watch over India’s immediate and extended areas of interest.
The second proposal cleared was for procurement of LICEWS (Low Intensity Conflict Electronic Warfare System) from M/s Bharat Electronics Limited for Rs 470 crore. This system will equip Indian Army with upgraded communications infrastructure to effectively deal with advanced communications systems being used by terrorist groups.