Article Posted on : - Jul 14, 2015

P-8I aircraft. Photo: Boeing.

NEW DELHI (PTI): A high-level Defence Ministry committee is likely to clear the proposal to acquire four more P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft on Tuesday besides discussing other projects including ultra light howitzers and new air defence guns for the Army.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) will also discuss purchase of simulators for the upgraded Mirage aircraft of the Indian Air Force and micro-light aircraft for National Cadet Corps, Defence sources said on Monday.

Also under discussion would the a section of the revised and updated Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) that is being formulated. Even though the much awaited DPP would come for discussion, sources indicated that it would take some more time for it to take a final shape.

Other projects that is likely to come under discussion is the proposal by Navy for Radio-frequency identification (RFID) system and Combat Management System for all its ships.

The biggest take-away is likely to be the acquisition of for more P81 aircraft.

The original eight-aircraft deal was signed in 2009 and as per the agreement, three each were to be delivered in 2013 and 2014 and two in 2015.

The Navy had in November last year decided to go in for the option clause in the contract under which it can order four more.

The P-8I, based on the Boeing next-generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that the US Navy uses.

India was Boeing's first international customer for this aircraft.

The aircraft features open system architecture, advanced sensors and display technologies.

It is equipped with foreign and indigenous sensors for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine operations and electronic intelligence missions.

It is integrated with latest sensors and anti-surface and anti-submarine weapons.

If the deal goes through, it would help US to consolidate its position as India's largest arms supplier.

In the last three years, the US has overtaken Russia as the largest supplier of weapon systems to India.

Answering a written query in the Lok Sabha in August last year, then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley had said in the last three years, India spent Rs 83,458 crore for procuring equipment from foreign vendors which included Rs 32,615 crore worth of supplies from the US.

Russia exported hardware worth Rs 25,363.96 crore in this period.

In the last three years, India has bought several equipment from the US including the C130J Super Hercules aircraft, Harpoon anti-submarine missiles and the C-17 heavy lift transport aircraft.

Russia has traditionally been the largest supplier of weapons to India and the armed forces still have almost 70 per cent of their vintage equipment from that country.

France, which has been bagging a number of deals from India for submarines and fighter aircraft, has emerged as the third-largest supplier followed by Israel.