A high-level team from Boeing will give the Navy a classified briefing this week on the P-8A Maritime Multimission Aircraft (MMA), a futuristic reconnaisance and oceanic warfare jet to be rolled out by 2013 for the US Navy.

This afternoon, Boeing president & CEO James McNerney paid a 10-minute courtesy call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his office.

Both Boeing and the Pentagon are keen to engage the Indian Navy as a technical partner in the $3.89 billion P-8A programme — an unprecedented proposal that would have remained a pipedream if it wasn’t for the new strategic relationship between the two countries.

Talks are still at a preliminary stage and the financial implications of joining the P-8A programme are very high, though the Navy feels that getting on board the programme early on would ensure that it receives what it perceives to be the best next generation Naval aviation technology.

The visit of the Boeing team coincides with that of US Speaker of the House of Representative Dennis Hastert, the third highest ranking official in the US administration. Big business opportunities for firms like Boeing underscore the new Indo-US diplomatic complexion.

Last year, the firm landed a $6 billion deal with Air India for civil jets and is in the country for more business opportunities, which include a full-fledged maintenance and overhaul facility in Nagpur and a training school.

The Boeing president was hosted for lunch by Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel today. President George W Bush himself, in his initial meetings with the Prime Minister, had pushed for more business with Boeing.

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