India’s Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar flew in to INS Rajali, Arakkonam, India’s premiere Naval Air Station in southern India, approximately 43 miles from Chennai on board a Boeing P-8I from Port Blair the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India. The minister described the long range maritime patrol aircraft as one of the best for surveillance in the world today and noted that it had achieved a number of operational milestones including its participation in the search effort for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370, the first successful firing of air launched Harpoon Block II missile in the world, torpedo firing and active participation in major naval exercises.
Defense-Aerospace reports that the P-8I aircraft is equipped for long range anti-submarine warfare, anti -surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in support of broad area maritime and littoral operations.
The P-8Is are based at INS Rajali, and are operated by Indian Naval Air Squadron 312A under the command of Commander Venkateshwaran Ranganathan.
