Navy's P-8I fleet to undergo repairs in India; Boeing inks landmark deal with AIESL

AI Engineering Services (AIESL), one of India's largest third-party aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies, have singed a landmark deal with Boeing to repair the critical components for Indian Navy's fleet of 12 P-8I aircraft. 

The Boeing P-8I is a multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft and is integral to the Indian Navy’s maritime surveillance missions in the Indian Ocean. This deal marks a major step in how India is developing its indigenous aircraft maintenance capabilities especially for undertaking complex repair work on defence aircraft. 

In a first for India, AIESL recently completed the repair work on the landing gear of P-8I at INS Rajali. Boeing has stressed that they will continue to make strategic investments in India’s MRO capabilities. 

"Investing in Indian MROs and developing local MRO capabilities is a win-win for everyone. It reduces the repair time and aircraft downtime, thus improving the overall mission reediness of the customer's fleets," said Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India and South Asia.

Proud to partner with Boeing, Sharad Agarwal, CEO of AIESL said: "It is a significant step towards India's aspirations to become the regional hub for MRO services."

This partnership is the latest development under the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub program. The BIRDS hub is a local network of suppliers working to build a robust MRO ecosystem for defence and commercial aircraft, which aims to establish industry benchmarks in India for maintenance and repair, platform availability, customer satisfaction, and rapid turnaround time.

Indian Navy's P-8I multi-role Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft

India's P-8I Aircraft Fleet

The P-8I aircraft, a variant of the P-8A Poseidon, was developed by Boeing as a replacement for the US Navy's aging P-3 fleet. In 2009, the Indian Navy became the first international customer to sign a contract worth approximately $2.1 billion for eight P-8I aircraft, with the first aircraft arriving in India on May 15, 2013. 

The P-8I is equipped for various missions, including long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, supporting broad area, maritime, and littoral operations.

The aircraft features a communication and sensor suite that includes indigenous equipment developed by Indian defense public sector undertakings and private manufacturers. With its high speed and endurance of around 10 hours, the P-8I can deliver a swift and effective response while maintaining surveillance over India's immediate and extended areas of interest.