India inks ₹858 crore defence deals for Tunguska missiles, P81 aircraft inspection

The Ministry of Defence on Friday signed contracts, worth a total of ₹858 crore, for the procurement of the cutting-edge m and a maintenance contract with Boeing for the depot-level inspection of P8I Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft of the Indian Navy. 

The agreements were inked at Kartavya Bhawan-2 here in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and senior officials.

The contract for the procurement of Tunguska Air Defence Missile Systems, valued at ₹445 crore, for the Indian Army, was signed with Russia’s JSC Rosoboronexport. These state-of-the-art missiles will enhance India’s multi-layered air defence capabilities against aerial threats, including aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles. The agreement will further strengthen the Indo-Russian strategic defence partnership, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

The contract for the Inspection (Depot Level) of P8I Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft for the Indian Navy under “Buy Indian” category with 100% indigenous content, valued at ₹413 crore, was signed with Boeing India Defense Private Ltd, a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Boeing, in the presence of senior officials of the Ministry of Defence. This contract will ensure depot-level maintenance of the P8I fleet at the in-country MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility, which is in line with the government’s commitment to Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make-in-India, the statement said.

The Boeing P-8I Poseidon is the Indian Navy’s advanced, long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft. Known as the "guardian of the Indian Ocean," it operates 12 units for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and anti-ship missions, with plans to acquire six more to bolster maritime domain awareness and counter regional threats.

The P-8I is a variant of the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon, with India being the first international customer, making it a critical asset in the Indo-Pacific region

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)