Boeing Orders Equipment Worth Over $600 Million from India for P-8I

U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co said that it has started sourcing equipment worth more than $600 million from Indian firms for P-8I submarine fighting planes it is building for India.India signed a $2.1 billion contract with Boeing in January to procure eight P-8I aircraft for its navy as part of an overhaul of the South Asian nation's mainly old Soviet military hardware.

"We have started to place contracts worth over $600 million with Indian companies, which will include supply of defence equipment for manufacturing the P-8I planes," Vivek Lall, India country head of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems told Reuters in an interview.

"Suppliers recently awarded for this contract include Electronics Corporation of India, HAL's (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) avionics division and Bharat Electronics Ltd," Lall said.India, which is fast becoming one of the world's biggest arms importers, wants the P-8I warfare planes by 2013, Lall said.The contracts were issued to comply with government's policy to manufacture 30 percent equipment locally on all defence deals with foreign companies, he said.

Posted in: India,Maritime Patrol Aircraft