India belatedly receives ninth Neptune
Delivery was delayed by four months due to COVID-19
The Indian Navy on 17 November received its ninth P-8I Neptune long-range maritime reconnaissance and ASW aircraft.
This aircraft was scheduled to be handed over to the Indian Navy in July, but delivery was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India has three other P-8Is on order from manufacturer Boeing. These aircraft will be handed over in 2021. In June 2019, according to Shephard Defence Insight, the US cleared the potential sale of ten more P-8Is for INR22,500 crore ($3.2 billion).
Since the first aircraft entered service with the Indian Navy in 2013, the P-8I fleet has clocked up more than 25,000 flight hours, according to Boeing. The aircraft are currently employed on surveillance missions over the Ladakh region, which is the scene of continuing military tension between China and India.
Support from Boeing for the P-8I fleet, as part of a deal signed in 2019, includes construction of a Training Support and Data Handling Centre at INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu, plus a secondary centre at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology in Kochi.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Saab’s GlobalEye gains ground as Canada’s aircraft procurement tilts towards Europe]()
Saab’s GlobalEye gains ground as Canada’s aircraft procurement tilts towards Europe
Canada’s interest in negotiating a procurement of Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft signals its readiness to reduce its reliance on US defence technology as trade tensions with its North American neighbour mount.
-
![US Air Force CCA programme to achieve multiple milestones in the coming months]()
US Air Force CCA programme to achieve multiple milestones in the coming months
The US Air Force is preparing to select mission-autonomy software, fire a missile from the FQ-42 Vengeance and test both CCA designs alongside crewed fighters at 2026 Emerald Flag.
-
![Will the US Navy F/A-XX and the USAF F-47 compete for production capacities?]()
Will the US Navy F/A-XX and the USAF F-47 compete for production capacities?
The two sixth-generation fighter programmes could battle for engineering talent and production lines before deliveries begin, testing Boeing’s industrial expansion plans.
-
![September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper]()
September drone digest: attrition-tolerant aircraft pitched to replace the Reaper
The loss of many MQ-9 Reapers during the 2026 Iran War has underscored the risks of sending relatively expensive UAVs into contested airspace. In September, new contenders to replace the Reaper emerged, championing cheaper, modular aircraft designs for mass production and inevitable attrition.
