India inducts Boeing aircraft into Navy

NEW DELHI - India has inducted its first Boeing surveillance aircraft for anti-submarine operations into its Navy, local media reported Thursday.

The induction of the first Poseidon-8I (P-8I) aircraft into the Indian Navy took place at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, some 80 km from the southern state of Tamil Nadu's capital Chennai Wednesday, The Times of India newspaper reported.

"The aircraft is to be used for broad-area maritime and anti- submarine operations. The aircraft is going to be a unique part in our anti-surface warfare, surveillance and intelligence capacities, " Vice Admiral B.K. Varma, the chief of staff of the eastern naval command, was quoted as saying.

Armed with anti-ship Harpoon missiles, Mark-54 anti-submarine torpedoes and Mark-82 depth bombs, the aircraft will guard the country's 5,422 km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of exclusive economic zones, the report said.