In military aviation, it’s the fighter jets that usually hog the limelight. People’s fascination with combat aircraft means that every small or big deal involving them is closely tracked, and defense experts comment on the security implications of such agreements.
However, equally significant deals in AWACS, AEW&C, transporters, tankers, ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) platforms are somewhat ignored.
For instance, India’s decision to green-light the acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets was widely reported. However, equally significant was India’s decision to place a follow-up order for six additional Boeing P-8I Poseidon (an India-specific version of P-8A).
This was India’s third follow-up order for Rafale. New Delhi signed an initial order for 36 Rafale jets in 2015, followed by an order for 26 Rafale M in 2025. Now, following the latest order for 114 Rafale jets, India will become the second-largest operator of Rafale jets after France.
Similarly, this was India’s third follow-up order for Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft.
India signed the first order in 2009 for eight P-8I Poseidons, followed by a second order for four more Poseidons in 2016. With the latest order for six more Poseidons, India is set to become the second-largest operator of Poseidons after the US.
Despite these similarities, there is very little reporting on the Poseidon deal. Even though the Poseidon deal could have far more serious implications for China and the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
In fact, if one is paying close attention, it’s not hard to see that, just as the F-35, the Poseidon is becoming a cornerstone of the US’s Indo-Pacific strategy and a rising headache for China.
The Poseidon’s Indo-Pacific Success
According to Boeing, there are 200 P-8s currently in service or on contract across nine countries. As of June 2025, 169 P-8s have been delivered to various countries.
Apart from the US, eight other countries operate the Poseidons. These are: Australia, India, the United Kingdom, Norway, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Germany, and Canada.
Of the eight foreign customers, four are in the Indo-Pacific: India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea; three are in Europe, and one is in North America.
The Indo-Pacific region also has the second- and third-largest Poseidon operators, after the US.
India currently has a fleet of 12 Poseidons, and is set to order six more. Australia has a fleet of 12 Poseidons and has ordered two more. Besides, New Zealand has four Poseidons, and the South Korean Navy has six.
In total, these four countries will have 42 Poseidons. The US has some 125 Poseidons, some of which are permanently deployed in the Indo-Pacific.
The US Navy’s Poseidon aircraft are consistently deployed with the U.S. 7th Fleet to monitor maritime activity, particularly in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
As of 2025, U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft from squadrons like Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 and VP-47 have been operating under Commander, Task Force (CTF) 72 in Guam, and P-8A Poseidons frequently rotate through key locations, including Kadena Air Base in Japan and Singapore.
This means that, apart from Australia, India, South Korea, and New Zealand, Poseidons are also deployed in Japan, Singapore, and Guam in the Indo-Pacific region, making it a force to be reckoned with.
In general, the P-8A aircraft are considered the world’s most advanced “submarine hunters,” capable of performing critical missions such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and maritime reconnaissance.
Besides, Poseidons can also perform critical ISTAR (Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) roles.
China views the aircraft as a key threat to its submarine operations. In 2024, Beijing accused the US of deploying a submarine-hunting P-8A Poseidon in the disputed South China Sea, underscoring the aircraft’s strategic significance for regional maritime security.
The US and Australia have irked China in the past by deploying their Poseidons over territories that are claimed by Beijing, such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese fighter jets have conducted dangerous interceptions of the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft on multiple occasions, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times. In a separate incident in 2023, China dispatched 26 combat aircraft in response to a flight by the US Navy P-8A Poseidon over the Taiwan Strait.
India, too, has deployed the aircraft to keep a vigil on Chinese activities. In addition to its core maritime role, the P-8I has been utilized for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions on land, most notably during the 2020 Galwan Valley conflict and the 2017 Doklam standoff in the Himalayas, to monitor China.
The aircraft reportedly provided real-time imagery and data on Chinese troop movements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Captain D K Sharma (retired), a former Indian Navy officer, said that during the 2017 Doklam standoff with China, “The aircraft were live-streaming data to support decision making during the Doklam face-off.”
He further highlighted the platform’s versatility, noting: “The P-8I aircraft were the most potent platform to carry out surveillance — be it sea or mountains.”
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat (then Army Chief) confirmed the Indian Navy’s P-8I Poseidon deployment during the 2017 Doklam standoff with China. He told reporters in February 2020: “I came to know about the capabilities of the P-8I anti-submarine warfare planes after they were deployed in Doklam for surveillance.”
Following the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 40 Indian CRPF troops, India again deployed P-8I Poseidon for enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions along the mountainous Line of Control (LoC).
Discussing this endeavor, retired naval aviator and Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha highlighted, “In addition to an intelligence-sharing agreement, it allows two aircraft to exchange the positions of vessels in their areas of operation and feed into a larger maritime domain awareness (MDA) network. Due to interoperability, it becomes easier to conduct reconnaissance in a much larger area, even without each aircraft having to operate in two different areas. It gives the force commanders a much larger picture in the MDA.”
The P-8’s widespread use would foster interoperability among QUAD and AUKUS (US, UK, Australia) nations, as well as other operators such as South Korea and New Zealand. This would enable them to create a networked defense system that shares real-time ISR data, which China would struggle to counter due to its limited alliances.
P-8 Poseidon
Boeing Defense, Space & Security developed and produced the P-8 Poseidon, which is derived from the civilian Boeing 737-800 airliner.
The Boeing P-8 is a versatile maritime patrol aircraft that excels in anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as search-and-rescue missions. The P-8I can also be used for coastal patrolling.
It has a maximum range of about 1200 nautical miles and an endurance of 10 hours, allowing the aircraft to conduct long-range patrols over regions such as the Indian Ocean or the South China Sea.
The aircraft has been equipped with modern surveillance and reconnaissance equipment, including a long-range X-band radar capable of detecting maritime objects hundreds of kilometers away. It also features sophisticated electronic warfare systems and high-resolution digital electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensors.
Additionally, the aircraft features the AN/APY-10 multi-mode radar, which incorporates synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR (ISAR) capabilities for detecting submarines, surface vessels, and land targets in all weather conditions. It features secure data links for real-time coordination with ships, aircraft, and ground forces.
More importantly, though, the aircraft can detect submerged submarines by identifying magnetic disturbances. This is critical for tracking China’s growing submarine fleet.
The aircraft can also carry over 120 sonobuoys to detect and track enemy submarine activity.
In terms of weaponry, the P-8A is equipped with air-to-surface missiles for precision targeting of maritime threats and torpedoes for anti-submarine operations.
With its High-Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability (HAAWC), the P-8A can engage submarines quickly and accurately without being exposed to low altitudes by deploying MK-54 torpedoes as glide bombs from as high as 30,000 feet.
The aircraft can be deployed to monitor contested regions and vital choke points, such as the Strait of Malacca, to keep a close eye on Chinese maritime movements.
The P-8A, engineered for rigorous maritime environments, is designed to endure 25 years or 25,000 flight hours in harsh conditions, including icing conditions. It also has an open architecture that allows upgrades for new sensors, weapons, or mission systems to counter evolving threats.
When a country buys Poseidons, it does not generate as many headlines as when it buys F-35s. However, in the era of integrated naval warfare and in their role as force multipliers, they could be equally dangerous.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of experience in news media. He has worked with Press Trust of India, Times Now, Zee News, Economic Times, and Microsoft News. He holds a Master’s Degree in International Media and Modern History from the University of Sheffield, UK.
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