New Delhi:
In a major boost to the armed forces, India has signed an agreement with the United States for the purchase of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones.
The Indian Navy is likely to get 15 of these drones, which will be the 'SeaGuardian' variant, while the Army and Air Force will get eight 'SkyGuardian' Predator drones each. Sources told NDTV that the total cost of the deal is likely to be less than $3.5 billion.
The deal to acquire the drones from US manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) under a Foreign Military Sales contract between the two governments was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security earlier this month.
The MQ-9B Predator drone is a variant of the MQ-9 'Reaper' developed by GA-ASI and is categorized as a long-endurance high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The drone can fly for 40 hours at a time at altitudes above 12,000 meters. It has an external payload of 2,155 kg.
In addition to its surveillance capabilities, the MQ-9B is armed with assault missiles, allowing it to hit targets with high precision. It can take off and land automatically and can be safely integrated into civil airspace.
These capabilities make the drone ideal for land and maritime surveillance, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and expeditionary missions, which involve going to a specific place and carrying out a specific objective in response to a crisis.
In February, Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the US State Department, had emphasized the importance of the deal in promoting strategic technology cooperation with India and strengthening military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
“The U.S.-India Defense Partnership has experienced significant growth over the past decade. This is a proposed sale announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last year. We believe it has significant potential to further advance strategic technological and military cooperation with India. in the region,” he said.