Basing
The P-8Is will be based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam Naval Air Station in Tamil Nadu, which is currently home base for Indian Navy's 312 Squadron which operates eight Tupolev Tu-142MK-E Aircraft (Bear F mod 3 export variant). The aircraft entered service in the Indian Air Force in 1986 and are equipped for maritime patrol and Anti-Surface Warfare, reconnaissance, air-sea rescue and search and rescue.
Performance
The Poseidon has a 1,200+ nautical miles range, with 4 hours on station. Its range / time on station can be considerably enhanced with in-flight refueling.
It is designed to fly low and slow through the weather, unlike the 737-800; the 737 upswept winglets have been replaced with raked-back wingtips, better suited for icy conditions.
The aircraft will be armed with sonobuoys, torpedos and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. So far India has not conveyed to Boeing any interest in arming the aircraft with the Brahmos missiles.
Sensor Suite
For spotting and tracking threats it is equipped with
1.An upgraded Raytheon APS137 Maritime Surveillance Radar designated AN/APY-10 with 240 degrees forward coverage.
2.Telephonics APS-143C(V)3 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for aft coverage. The radar is also fitted on aircraft such as the USCG HC-144A Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and HU-25D Falcon Jet. The APS-143 is featured on most international S-70 Naval Hawk helicopters and certain NH-90, Super Lynx and other Maritime Helicopters.
3.Electro-optical / infrared sensors from Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems
4.A rotary internal re loadable pneumatically controlled sonobuoy launcher.
5.Canadian firm CAE's AN/ASQ-508A Advanced Integrated Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) System.
6.SIGINT equipment.
Self Protection Suite
* Towed Decoy Self Protection
* Infrared countermeasures
Weapon Suite
At the Singapore air show in February 2010, Boeing revealed that the Indian Navy had sought Raytheon Fish Hawk GPS-guidance wing kit along with MK-54 anti-submarine torpedoes as part of the weapons package.
Mk-54 Light Weight Torpedoes
On June 27, 2011, the American Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress of the sale of 32 Mk-54 lightweight torpedoes for around $86 million, including associated equipment, spares and logistical support.
The torpedoes, said DSCA, will "provide enhanced capabilities in effective defence of critical sea lines of communication".
The torpedoes are honed to counter quiet diesel-electric submarines operating in the shallow-water littoral to arm its P-8I fleet.
Mk-54 Torpedo Characteristics
The Mk-54 torpedo uses commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) digital signal-processing technology. It incorporates an advanced guidance and control (G&C) section employing COTS processing technologies and tactical software improvements to significantly increase shallow water counter-countermeasure capability at reduced lifecycle costs.
The Torpedo is capable of engaging targets in most challenging littoral scenarios.
Contractor: Raytheon
Propulsion: liquid propellant
Length: 106.9 inch
Diameter: 12.75 inch
Weight: 608 pounds
Warhead: 96.8 pounds, high-explosive
The Mk 54 has a top speed of about 72kph and a range of about 10km. It features a built in sonar to locate the target sub, as well as acoustic sensors. An onboard computer enables it to compare acoustic signatures picked by its sensors to a data bank to identify the target sub and home on to it.
Torpedo Glide Kits
The Mk-54 torpedo can be released from a height of 20,000 feet using a glide kit consisting of wings, control flaps, a flight control computer, battery and GPS for navigation.
The kit enables the torpedo to glide for 10-15 kilometers, down to about 100 meters altitude. The kit is then jettisoned and the torpedo plunges into the water to seek out the target sub.
Releasing the torpedo from a height allows the aircraft to continue with its surveillance and stay outside the range of any anti-aircraft missile equipped submarine.
It is not clear if India will be getting the torpedoes with the glide kit.
AGM-84L Harpoon Block II Missiles
The aircraft will be equipped with Harpoon Block II anti-ship missile systems. India has signed a package worth $200 million (over Rs 900 crore) for the supply of 21 missile along with associated equipment, parts and logistical support under FMS. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified the US Congress of the possible sale.
India earlier purchased Harpoon Block II missiles for use with the maritime versions of Jaguar aircraft based in Pune.
Indian Electronics
The aircraft will feature some electronic equipment built by the Electronics Corporation of India Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited.
Crew
The aircraft has five identical mission operator consoles, with each having the ability to select which sensor they want to study with two observer stations. The aircraft is designed for user to expand and configure 21 crew seats.
AN/APY-10
Raytheon will supply an international version of the AN/APY-10 radar for use on the P-8I. The radar is capable of long-range surface search and target tracking, periscope detection in high sea states, ship imaging and classification using Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR), and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for overland surveillance, ground mapping, and targeting.
High-resolution ISAR can be used to image and classify small, fast-moving vessels that operate close to the shore. SAR facilitates imaging stationary ships and boats as well as coastal and overland surveillance.
The new SAR mode in the AN/APY-10 provides multiple resolution strip map and spot SAR operation, and has high-resolution capability for target ID, battle damage assessment (BDA), and targeting.
On the flip side, the radar Will have SAR/GMTI (Ground Moving Target Indicator) and AIS (Automated Identification System) modes
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The US DSCA announces [PDF] Indias request to buy 32 MK-54 All-Up-Round Lightweight Torpedoes, 3 recoverable exercise torpedoes, 1 training shape, plus containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, transportation, and other forms of U.S. Government and contractor support
AN/ASQ-508A Advanced Integrated Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) System for Indias 8 P-8is
On the other hand, Lockheed Martin offers the GPS-guided, high altitude launch HAAWC/Longshot, consisting of an adapter kit mounted on a Mk.54. If India wants HAAWCs, Lockheed Martin could be listed as the contractor
Boeings P-8i program manager Leland Wright, who confirmed that Boeing has a license to export the AGM-84K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) to India, but said that P-8is will initially carry 4 of the less capable Harpoon anti-ship missiles instead.
Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has delivered an Indian-designed Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Interrogator to Boeing, for installation into Indias P-8i. Other Indian electronics eing provided for final integration include BELs Data Link II communications system, Avantels mobile satellite system, and the Electronic Corporation of India Ltds (ECIL)
Griffon Corp. subsidiary Telephonics Corporation announces a contract from Boeing to supply its AN/APS-143Cv3 OceanEye Multi-Mode Radar as the P-8is aft radar. The contract includes systems for 8 installations, plus integration and support services. Cost is not disclosed. The Feb 3/10 report regarding an aft radar from Raytheon, instead of the eventual winner Telephonics, means the OceanEye was probably picked over Raytheons AN/APS-143 SeaVue Options include land-looking ISAR and Stripmap SAR modes, Range profiling, and an integrated Identification Friend or Foe interrogator
