India and the US today finalised a multi-billion dollar drone deal as Prime Minister Modi met Joe Biden on the first day of his three-day visit to the US. Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and the two leaders discussed a range of issues to further strengthen India-US ties.
Both leaders also discussed the drone deal in detail.
India is in the process of purchasing 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones from the US. The cost of purchasing these drones is around $3 billion. India aims to enhance the surveillance system of the armed forces, especially on the border with China.
Negotiations for the deal have been going on for over a year. In June last year, the Defence Ministry approved the purchase of MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian armed drones equipped with air-to-ground missiles and laser-guided bombs from the US under a government-to-government framework.
Apart from buying the drones, the Indian Navy is also planning to ink two other big defence deals this fiscal year – 3 more Scorpene submarines and 26 Rafale-M fighter jets.
MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones
The MQ-9B drone is a high-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured and sold by US defense firm General Atomics. It is known for providing persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).
It is designed to fly 40+ hours over the horizon via satellite in all types of weather and integrate safely into civilian airspace, enabling joint military and civilian authorities to access real-time situational information anywhere in the world – day or night.
According to General Atomics, the drone can be configured to conduct a number of ISR operations, including but not limited to the following:
- Humanitarian assistance/disaster relief
- search and rescue
- Maritime Domain Awareness
- Anti-surface warfare
- Anti-submarine warfare
- Aerial landmine countermeasures
- Airborne early warning
- electronic warfare
- Long Range Strategic ISR
- Targeting beyond the horizon
The Predator drone has an impressive and proven record in West Asia as well as Afghanistan. It is valued for its precision bombing capabilities and ability to destroy high-value targets.
The Predator drone is a variant of the MQ-9 “Reaper”, which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in central Kabul in July 2022.
Indian Armed Forces – Who gets what
The 31 drones to be procured from General Atomics will be split between the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Army. Of the MQ-9B drones, 16 will be allocated to the Indian Navy to enhance surveillance in the Indian Ocean region, eight will be given to the Indian Army for use along the Line of Actual Control with China and the Line of Control with Pakistan, and the remaining eight will be handed over to the Indian Air Force for precision, targeted missions across the borders.
The drone deal has to be agreed and signed by both India and the US before October 31, 2024, after which the price will be revised by around $3 billion by the manufacturer – General Atomics, as per talks between the two governments.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his delegation were given detailed briefings on the capabilities and other specifications of the drone during his official visit to the US in August.
During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to America, both the countries will give priority to this agreement and would like to make progress in it before the expiry date of October 31.
