In 2009, the US Navy had
approved ground surveillance role for its P-8s.
The P-8Is come
equipped with the AN/APY-10 radar, which its maker Raytheon
describes as a “maritime, littoral and
overland surveillance radar”. As it is clear from the description, the radar can be used to
monitor ground movement, and is capable of providing data in all-weather conditions, both at night and day.
In the Synthetic Aperture and Inverse synthetic-aperture mode, the AN/APY-10 radar can penetrate through clouds and foliage to give detailed images of the surface below. Images produced by the radar in these modes can give details such as size of objects and structures on the surface, movement and change.
These observations will help the Army keep a close watch over the movement of the People’s Liberation Army on the other side of the Line of Actual Control. Based on these inputs, the army can
take a call on its deployments.