India to get P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft which can track even very small details of Chinese Navy’s movements

The P-8A is equipped with air-to-surface missiles for precise targeting of maritime threats and torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.

New Delhi: India recently approved two significant defense agreements. One involves the purchase of 114 Rafale jets. The second deal clears the purchase of six P-8 Poseidon (P-8I) surveillance aircraft. The Boeing P-8I Poseidon (the Indian version of the P-8A) is crucial for enhancing India’s military power, especially in India’s conflict with China. The Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft is known as a submarine hunter due to its capabilities.

India signed its first order for eight P-8I Poseidons in 2009. It subsequently ordered four more in 2016. With the recent order for six Poseidons, India is poised to become the second-largest operator of the Poseidon, after the United States. This could have serious implications for the Indo-Pacific strategies of China and the United States. The Poseidon is becoming a headache for China.

Poseidon’s Indo-Pacific Success

According to Boeing, 200 P-8s are currently in service or on contract in nine countries. By June 2025, 169 P-8s have been delivered to various countries. Besides the United States, eight other countries operate the Poseidon. Four of these eight are in the Indo-Pacific: India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.

India has a fleet of 12 Poseidons and has ordered six more. Australia has a fleet of 12 Poseidons and has ordered two more. New Zealand has four, and the South Korean Navy has six. These four countries are expected to have a total of 42 Poseidons. American Poseidons are also deployed in the Indo-Pacific.

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China considers this aircraft a threat

China considers this aircraft a threat to its submarine operations. Beijing claimed the US will deploy the submarine-hunting P-8A Poseidon in the disputed South China Sea. The US and Australia have also irritated China by deploying the Poseidon in areas claimed by Beijing, such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.

India has also deployed the aircraft to monitor Chinese activities. In addition to its maritime role, the P-8I has been used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions on land. It was notably used to monitor China during the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the 2017 Doklam standoff in the Himalayas.

Features of the P-8 Poseidon

Boeing Defense Space & Security developed the P-8 Poseidon. The Boeing P-8 is a versatile maritime patrol aircraft, highly useful in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as search-and-rescue missions. The P-8I is used for coastal patrol.

Long-range patrolling

This aircraft has a maximum range of 1,200 nautical miles and can operate for up to 10 hours. This allows it to conduct long-range patrols in areas such as the Indian Ocean or the South China Sea. It is equipped with modern surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, including a long-range X-band radar that can detect maritime objects hundreds of kilometers away.

The Poseidon features advanced electronic warfare systems and high-resolution digital electro-optical and infrared sensors. Additionally, the aircraft features the AN/APY-10 multi-mode radar, which includes synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse capabilities. It can detect submarines, surface vessels, and land targets in all weather conditions.

Missiles

A key feature of this aircraft is its ability to detect submerged submarines by detecting magnetic disturbances. This is crucial for tracking China’s growing submarine fleet. The aircraft can also carry over 120 sonobuoys to detect and track enemy submarine activity.

The P-8A is equipped with air-to-surface missiles for precise targeting of maritime threats and torpedoes for anti-submarine operations. With high-altitude anti-submarine warfare weapon capability, the P-8A can attack submarines from altitudes of 30,000 feet by deploying MK-54 torpedoes as glide bombs.