Mike Moran, US Navy maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft programme manager.

India is buying eight P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Indian navy at a total cost of $2.1 billion with each aircraft costing about $220 million. These aircraft would replace Indian Navy's aging Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprops.

Boeing will deliver the first P-8I to India by 2013 and the remaining seven by 2015. Interest has been expressed by many other countries, including Australia and Italy.

The P-8A for the US Navy is built by a Boeing-led industry team that includes CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems and GE Aviation.

The team currently is assembling and testing the first five P-8As as part of the programme's System Development and Demonstration contract, awarded in 2004.

The integrated Navy/Boeing team will begin formal flight testing of the P-8A later this year. The US Navy plans to purchase 117 P-8As, and initial operational capability is planned for 2013.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)