Dynamatic Technologies, a manufacturer of precision engineering products based out of Bangalore, has signed a contract with Boeing for the manufacture of cabinets that will house critical power and mission equipment for the P8I programme manufactured by Boeing.
P8I is a maritime surveillance aircraft from Boeing customised for the Navy for which the Ministry of Defence has placed an order with Boeing.
The contract, signed on March 19, is significant for the firm as it is the first time it has won a direct order from Boeing. “Dynamatic and Boeing are working to get the first article ready for inspection by October, 2010,” according to a filing the company has made with the National Stock Exchange.
Dynamatic Technologies has had a relationship with Airbus, the competitor to Boeing for supplying many a component for the aerospace major. It was set to become a single source supplier of flap-track beams to Airbus for its single aisle A-320 family of aircraft. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus had decided to source its requirements of flap-track beams from Dynamatic by June 2010 as part of its cost reduction initiatives.
According to earlier reports, the P8I is a customised version for the Indian Navy and is based on the Boeing-737 commercial airliner. The navy had in November 2006 expressed an interest in the aircraft as a replacement for its existing fleet of Il-38 aircraft that are nearing the end of their service life.
In 2007, at the Aero India 2007, the P8I was showcased by Boeing when the company had announced that it is a next generation maritime surveillance aircraft and will be able to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy for the next 50 years.
