GS Paper - 3 (Defence Technology)
Indian Naval Air Squadron 316 (INAS 316), the Navy’s second squadron equipped with four Boeing P-8I aircraft, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Goa. INAS 316 has been christened “Condors”, after one of the largest flying land birds with a massive wingspan, excellent sensory capabilities, and powerful talons that symbolise the aircraft’s capabilities.
More about INAS 316
- The new squadron’s insignia depicts a ‘Condor’ searching over the vast blue expanse of the sea.
- The Indian Navy’s first P-8I squadron was set up with eight aircraft at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu, in November 2015.
- India was the first international customer for the P-8I in January 2009, when it signed a contract with Boeing for eight P-8I for $2.17 billion, according to a Comptroller & Auditor General report.
- The P-8 is also operated by the US Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, the UK’s Royal Air Force, and the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
- In 2016, India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) contracted for four more P-8Is under an options clause in the first contract. These aircraft have been operating from INS Hansa since their delivery in December 2021.
- The Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft that INAS 316 will operate is a multi-role, long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare (LRMR ASW) aircraft, equipped with a range of air-to-ship missiles and torpedoes.
- The aircraft is acknowledged to be the world’s most-deadly LRMR-ASW aircraft. It is a derivative of the Boeing 737-800 airliner, fitted with a plethora of sensors and weaponry, that make it is a potent platform for maritime surveillance and strike, electronic warfare missions, search and rescue and providing targeting data to other weapon platforms.
- It is also the platform of choice for detecting and neutralising enemy ships and submarines in Indian Ocean Region.
