NEW DELHI: The US has approved the sale of another lot of Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 lightweight torpedoes worth $155 million to arm the dozen Poseidon-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft acquired by India, even as New Delhi is finalizing the deal to buy six more of these “submarine and warship hunting” planes from Washington The Pentagon on Monday notified the US Congress of its decision to sell 10 AGM-84L Harpoon air-launched missiles worth $92 million and 19 MK-54 lightweight torpedoes worth $63 million, along with associated equipment, to India.The Pentagon said the missiles and torpedoes will be integrated into the P-8I aircraft by India to conduct missions “in defense of critical sea lanes, while enhancing interoperability with the US and other allied forces”. India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense, it added.As was earlier reported by TOI, the US has already bagged lucrative Indian defence deals worth over $21 billion just since 2007, with latest ones for 24 MH-60 ‘Romeo’ multi-role naval helicopters and six more Apache attack choppers for $3 billion being inked during President Donald Trump’s visit here in February.Another contract that was signed during Trump’s visit was the $190 million one for two self-protection suites (SPS), or advanced missile defence equipment, which will be retrofitted on the two custom-built Boeing-777 aircraft earlier acquired for long-haul travel of the Indian President and Prime Minister.As for the Boeing-manufactured P-8I aircraft, which are packed with sensors and armed with Harpoon missiles, lightweight torpedoes, rockets and depth charges to detect and destroy enemy submarines, the Navy had inducted the first eight of them under a $2.1 billion deal inked in January 2009.The next four P-8Is are slated for delivery by 2021-2022 under another $1.1 billion contract signed in July 2016. Then, in November last year, the Defence Acquisitions Council led by Rajnath Singh had also cleared the proposal to buy another six P-8I aircraft for $1.8 billion.