India and the United States (US) on Tuesday signed agreements worth Rs 32,000 crore to purchase MQ-9B Predator long-endurance armed drones for the three armed services and to provide them with a facility for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in their area. country, media center ANI reported, citing unnamed defense officials.
These agreements are reported to have been signed by both parties in the presence of senior officials.
Click here to contact us on WhatsApp
The deal to acquire 31 Predator drones from American defense manufacturer General Atomics further strengthens India’s ongoing defense relationship with the US. Earlier reports indicated that the deal will involve 15 Sea Guardian aircraft for the Indian Navy and 16 Sky Guardians for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF).
Why is India getting these ‘hunter-killer’ drones?
India is acquiring these ‘killer aircraft’ — 16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian units — to strengthen its surveillance capabilities near the border with China and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
It was reported in May that the Indian Army and the IAF plan to jointly deploy Predator drones at air bases in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
These drones will enhance their surveillance capabilities across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
At the time, defense officials had said ANI that since these drones require “significant length of runway” to take off and land, available with the IAF, the Army’s drones are also planned to be used with the IAF at the Sarsawa and Gorakhpur air bases.
The IAF and the Army will each have eight of these long-range aircraft, which will enable them to cover almost all areas of interest along the LAC with the support of other existing assets.
Meanwhile, 15 of the 31 MQ-9B drones will be deployed by the Indian Navy to cover the maritime domain.
They are expected to significantly improve the Navy’s ability to conduct unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance of the IOR.
With a flight time of more than 36 hours at an altitude of more than 40,000 meters, Predator drones can be armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs. These drones are specialized in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
First published: October 15 2024 | 2:23 PM IST