Thirty-one MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from the United States are getting closer to being acquired by India. Modifications to the agreement with General Atomics were authorized by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), which is presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
A defence insider claims that these revisions fall under the original agreement’s purview and are mainly aimed at boosting indigenous content. The US has already finished all the necessary procedures, including sending India the Letter of Offer and Acceptance in early March. India is currently nearing the conclusion of the procurement procedure prior to the Cabinet Committee on Security signing the agreement.
With the Quad Leaders Summit slated for December in India, there is hope that the US President’s visit will see the completion of the MQ-9B drone agreement as well as the GE-414 jet engine transaction.
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The anticipated cost of the planned $3.99 billion purchase of 31 MQ-9B UAVs, which would include 8 Sky Guardians for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army and 15 Sea Guardians for the Indian Navy, is high.
General Atomics will complete offset requirements by establishing a Global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India as part of the agreement. India’s surveillance capabilities are anticipated to be greatly improved by this acquisition, especially in the Indian Ocean region and along the high-altitude frontiers.
