New Delhi: India has taken a big step in the border dispute with China. The central government is now preparing to buy six more Poseidon-8I (P-8I) aircraft from America. The long-range aircraft are already being used by the Indian Navy. It is currently being used in the surveillance mission in Ladakh and in the Indian Ocean. According to a Times of India report, a letter of request has been issued by India for six and P-8I for $ 1.8 billion. According to sources, the deal will be done under the Pentagon’s foreign military sales program.
It is the Boeing company that manufactures P-8I aircraft. The Indian Navy fleet already consists of 8 P-8I aircraft. Those for which a $ 2.1 billion deal was signed in January 2009. After this, the government signed a deal for P-8I in July 2016 for four more aircrafts, which are to be delivered in the month of December this year. It is being said that the delivery of the most recent deal may also take place by early next year. The range of P-8I aircraft is about 2200 km. It can fly at a speed of 789 per hour. This aircraft is equipped with aircraft Harpoon Block II and light torpedoes. It is capable of carrying 129 Sonoboys simultaneously. Anti-aircraft missiles can also be fired from this aircraft. No submarine can escape its sight.
Navy’s anti-submarine P-8I fighter aircraft stationed in Ladakh amid border dispute with China
The Indian Navy’s Posidan 8-I anti-submarine warfare aircraft have been deployed in eastern Ladakh to monitor the Line of Actual Control (LAC). At the same time, in the midst of a border dispute with China, some of its ‘MiG-29K’ fighters are also likely to be placed at important locations in the northern sector. Sources gave this information on Tuesday. Sources said that top Army officials are considering navigating the MiG-29 fighter jets of the Indian Navy to some national air force bases in the northern region as part of an effort to coordinate the three wings of the Army to meet national security challenges.
The naval fighter aircraft will be helpful in the efforts of the Air Force and air-domination capabilities to go inside the enemy’s area and attack. The Navy currently has a fleet of about 40 MiG-29s and at least 18 of them are on board the country’s aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The IAF has deployed almost all its front-line combat aircraft like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 in eastern Ladakh and other locations around LAC. The move was taken after the border dispute with China escalated, however, diplomatic and military talks between the two sides are continuing to completely remove their troops from both countries from several confrontational locations in eastern Ladakh.
Aircraft patrolling at night in eastern Ladakh region
Air Force aircraft have been patrolling the eastern Ladakh region at night time for the past few weeks. She is doing this as part of her preparation to deal with any kind of emergent situation in the mountainous region. By the second fortnight of August, the Air Force is also planning to deploy Rafale fighter jets in the Ladakh region, which is expected to increase the combat capability considerably. India is scheduled to receive its first batch of five fighter jets on 27 July. Under its utmost vigilance, the Air Force has deployed Apache attack helicopters and Chinook helicopters to carry troops to various locations at various advanced locations in eastern Ladakh.
Sources said that the Navy’s P8I aircraft has been deployed in East Ladakh to monitor the movements of Chinese troops. It was deployed in Doklam along the Sikkim border in 2017 during a standoff between India and China for 73 days. This aircraft was also deployed to monitor the movements of Pakistani soldiers after the terrorist attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir last year.
Meanwhile, a US Navy bomber led by the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz conducted a military exercise on Monday along the Indian warships off the coast of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Officials said that four Indian Navy warships took part in this exercise. The USS Nimitz is the largest war vessel in the world. The exercise between the navies of the two countries (India and the US) matters after the tension between India and China in East Ladakh increases. After increasing tension in East Ladakh between India and China, the government has put all three forces (Army, Air Force, and Navy) on high alert.
