The U.S. State Department has cleared India’s request to acquire the Boeing AGM-84L Harpoon Block II anti-ship missile and Raytheon’s Mk 54 air-dropped torpedo for its fleet of Boeing P-8I multi-mission aircraft.
In separate announcements, the U.S. Defense Security and Cooperation Agency announced that India had requested the acquisition of 10 AGM-84L Harpoon Block IIs and 16 Mk 54s for an estimated cost of US$92 and US$63 million respectively.
The request for the Harpoons also includes containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, while the Mk 54 request includes three Mk 54 exercise torpedoes, spare parts; torpedo containers; two Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes (REXTORP) with containers; Fleet Exercise Section (FES) and fuel tanks; air launch accessories for fixed wing and other associated support.
The Indian Navy is currently operating eight P-8I aircraft tailored for India’s specific needs and restrictions compared to the the P-8A operated by the U.S. Navy, Australia, United Kingdom and other allies.
The country has four more P-8Is on order, with deliveries expected to start later this year while the purchase of another six more aircraft had received governmental approval in November 2019.
