The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), India’s apex procurement body, is set to consider the long-pending acquisition of six additional P-8I maritime patrol aircraft in the third week of February.

This proposal, first cleared by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in 2019 under the US Foreign Military Sales route, has awaited finalisation despite US State Department approval in May 2021 for a $2.42 billion deal.

The Indian Navy, already operating 12 P-8Is, seeks these Boeing-manufactured platforms to enhance anti-submarine warfare, maritime surveillance, and reconnaissance amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions.

These moves follow thawing India-US ties post-trade deal progress, prioritising maritime and airpower upgrades. The P-8I addition would extend operational range and endurance, while engine localisation bolsters indigenous manufacturing under 'Make in India'. Expect contract signing in the new fiscal year, pending DAC nod and cost negotiations.

While political tensions between the two countries intermittently slowed progress, the technical and strategic rationale for the purchase has endured. Officials emphasise that the aircraft tranche would enhance sustained maritime surveillance, extend-range detection, and reinforce command and control in the face of evolving regional security dynamics, including piracy, illicit trafficking, and strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific.

The deal’s revival reflects a broader desire to streamline and speed up acquisitions through established channels, even as the economic backdrop shifts. Diplomats and defence officials have noted that the existing framework of the FMS process, while sometimes cumbersome, remains a reliable mechanism for co-ordinating bilateral purchases, intelligence sharing, and maintenance support.

In the present context, the timing also aligns with India’s broader goal of diversifying its military hardware base while maintaining interoperability with partners like the United States.

Parallel to the P-8I procurement, there is progress on a separate but related strategic endeavour: the joint production of the GE F414-INS6 engine in India. This engine is designated to power the TEJAS MK-2 and, crucially, the first tranche of India’s planned Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

The proposed arrangement envisages 80% technology transfer, a degree of localisation that could significantly bolster India’s aeronautical manufacturing capabilities and reduce dependency on foreign supply chains for critical aviation components.

Yet, it is important to parse the nature of the technology transfer involved. Industry insiders stress that the transfer pertains to production technology rather than design and development, implying that India would gain substantial manufacturing competencies while the core design work remains a collaborative domain with partners.

For the more sophisticated second tranche of the AMCA, India intends to collaborate with the French firm Safran to design, develop, and produce a new 120-kilonewton thrust engine, which would mark a significant technological leap and diversify propulsion sources for India’s next-generation fighters.

The TEJAS MK-2 program itself is described as an advanced 4.5-generation single-engine multirole combat aircraft, developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. It is planned to supersede the Mirage-2000, Jaguar, and MiG-29 fleets, with production projected to begin in 2031–32.

The TEJAS MK-2 is expected to feature a longer fuselage and close-coupled canards to improve manoeuvrability, along with the more potent GE F414-INS6 engine delivering approximately 98 kN of thrust.

These capabilities are intended to yield enhanced performance across air-to-air and air-to-surface missions, contributing to India’s air power calculus as it modernises its fighter fleet. Despite the promise, the program has faced previous design and certification challenges, and current timelines will hinge on successful certification, supply chain resilience, and the readiness of both HAL and its domestic partners to scale up production.

Together, these two strands illustrate India’s dual track strategy: augmenting its maritime domain awareness and operational reach through continued collaboration with an experienced ally, while simultaneously building indigenous propulsion and design capabilities through selective international partnerships.

For the United States, the P-8I expansion reinforces a durable bilateral security relationship, while the engine co-development and transfer arrangements create a framework for deeper industrial cooperation and technology exchange.

The timing of these developments comes at a moment when tariff discussions and broader trade arrangements between India and the US are gaining traction, potentially creating a more conducive environment for closing long-standing defence files.

The overall strategic logic rests on a mix of immediate capability gains, long-term industrial partnerships, and the political signalling of a more closely aligned strategic posture between the two democracies in the Indo-Pacific.

It remains to be seen how negotiations will balance price, delivery schedules, and risk management for both sides. For India, persuading Parliament and industry stakeholders that the cost and time-to-deliver are acceptable will be essential, particularly given previous hesitations about price sensitivity and lifecycle costs.

For the US, maintaining a clear line on technology transfer thresholds, intellectual property protections, and the integrity of export controls will be critical to sustaining confidence among domestic contractors and industry partners.

In the broader regional context, these deals could influence neighbouring defence markets and procurement strategies, as other regional players observe whether such partnerships translate into faster access to modern capabilities and better reliability of supply.

If the agreements move forward smoothly, they could foster greater interoperability across allied forces operating in the Indo-Pacific, including joint exercises, integrated maintenance regimes, and shared training pipelines that would benefit both nations’ long-term strategic objectives.

Agencies