Boeing’s P-8I Takes First Flight

The Boeing Company’s P-8I airplane took off from the Wednesday for it's "initial first flight."

The P-8I is a "long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations," according to a Boeing press release in June. The P-8I is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.

This military derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space, according to the release.

The P-8I will provide India with speed, reliability, persistence and room for growth to satisfy the country’s maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare requirements now and into the future. The aircraft features open system architecture, advanced sensor and display technologies, and a worldwide base of suppliers, parts and support equipment.

Click here to read the most recent press release.

*Editor's Note: Information for this report was provided by The Boeing Company.

Editor's Note: The original story was titled, "Boeing’s P-8I Headed To India," which was incorrect. The plane took it's initial first flight and remained in the Puget Sound.