WolfPack86
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Indian armed forces will now buy 18 MQ-9
MQ9 Predator Acquisition from U.S, News Updates and Discussions
- Thread starter Yusuf
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WolfPack86
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India Moves Closer to Approving Purchase of Armed Drones From the U.S.
NEW DELHI—India is close to approving a deal to buy high-altitude armed drones from the U.S. as it seeks to counter a more-assertive Chinese stance on the countries’ contested Himalayan border, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The purchase of the advanced MQ-9B drones—equipped with antisubmarine warfare capabilities as well as land-attack and antiship missiles—would also boost the Indian navy’s surveillance efforts in the Indian Ocean, where China’s naval presence has grown. The decision-making process around the acquisition is gathering momentum in New Delhi, and it could be approved in the next few weeks, according to the people.
If India signs off on the purchase, the deal would need U.S. approval and signing an agreement between the governments could take months. Such an agreement would make India the first country that isn’t a U.S. treaty ally to buy the armed version of the drones. A Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Marty Meiners, said the Department of Defense doesn’t comment on potential foreign military sales prior to their formal notification to Congress.
The country’s security forces have operated two MQ-9B drones of a basic version since leasing them from the U.S. in 2020 after a deadly border confrontation with China. The aircraft have provided information about China’s troop and infrastructure buildup and played a critical role in helping India plan its counter moves, according to one of the people with knowledge of the proposed acquisition, who is an Indian security official.
The leased drones have clocked a total of 10,000 hours in the past two years, flying as far as the Gulf of Aden and the South China Sea, the official said.
New Delhi had originally planned to buy 30 drones for roughly $3 billion. The number could be lowered to between 18 and 24 after a recent assessment by a panel consisting of representatives of all three military branches, the security official said. The acquisition needs the go-ahead from two government committees, one headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the other by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The deal would boost a security relationship that has grown rapidly in recent years. Defense trade between the U.S. and India, which was close to zero in 2008, grew to $20 billion by 2020, according to the U.S. State Department. The countries have over the past decade signed pacts that make it easier to use each other’s military bases for replenishment and refueling and to share encrypted military intelligence and geospatial data.
The MQ-9B Predator drones, manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics, would mark the first major American foreign military sales to India since 2020 when New Delhi ordered two dozen Sikorsky MH-60R maritime helicopters made by Lockheed Martin Corp. for an estimated $2.6 billion.
“If the deal goes through it would symbolize a new comfort level that the two countries have with each other where cutting-edge defense technology cooperation is becoming a norm rather than an exception,” said Harsh V. Pant, vice president for foreign policy at New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation.
New Delhi is keeping a closer eye on the country’s border with China where it says Beijing has taken a more aggressive stance in recent years. Both sides have moved tens of thousands of troops there since the 2020 clash in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed.
India’s navy also patrols the Indian Ocean to track deployments of Chinese warships. The drones would reduce operating costs for the navy, which currently uses long-range patrol aircraft such as Boeing Co.’s P-8I, the Indian security official said.
www.wsj.com
NEW DELHI—India is close to approving a deal to buy high-altitude armed drones from the U.S. as it seeks to counter a more-assertive Chinese stance on the countries’ contested Himalayan border, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The purchase of the advanced MQ-9B drones—equipped with antisubmarine warfare capabilities as well as land-attack and antiship missiles—would also boost the Indian navy’s surveillance efforts in the Indian Ocean, where China’s naval presence has grown. The decision-making process around the acquisition is gathering momentum in New Delhi, and it could be approved in the next few weeks, according to the people.
If India signs off on the purchase, the deal would need U.S. approval and signing an agreement between the governments could take months. Such an agreement would make India the first country that isn’t a U.S. treaty ally to buy the armed version of the drones. A Pentagon spokesman, Army Lt. Col. Marty Meiners, said the Department of Defense doesn’t comment on potential foreign military sales prior to their formal notification to Congress.
The country’s security forces have operated two MQ-9B drones of a basic version since leasing them from the U.S. in 2020 after a deadly border confrontation with China. The aircraft have provided information about China’s troop and infrastructure buildup and played a critical role in helping India plan its counter moves, according to one of the people with knowledge of the proposed acquisition, who is an Indian security official.
The leased drones have clocked a total of 10,000 hours in the past two years, flying as far as the Gulf of Aden and the South China Sea, the official said.
New Delhi had originally planned to buy 30 drones for roughly $3 billion. The number could be lowered to between 18 and 24 after a recent assessment by a panel consisting of representatives of all three military branches, the security official said. The acquisition needs the go-ahead from two government committees, one headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and the other by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The deal would boost a security relationship that has grown rapidly in recent years. Defense trade between the U.S. and India, which was close to zero in 2008, grew to $20 billion by 2020, according to the U.S. State Department. The countries have over the past decade signed pacts that make it easier to use each other’s military bases for replenishment and refueling and to share encrypted military intelligence and geospatial data.
The MQ-9B Predator drones, manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics, would mark the first major American foreign military sales to India since 2020 when New Delhi ordered two dozen Sikorsky MH-60R maritime helicopters made by Lockheed Martin Corp. for an estimated $2.6 billion.
“If the deal goes through it would symbolize a new comfort level that the two countries have with each other where cutting-edge defense technology cooperation is becoming a norm rather than an exception,” said Harsh V. Pant, vice president for foreign policy at New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation.
New Delhi is keeping a closer eye on the country’s border with China where it says Beijing has taken a more aggressive stance in recent years. Both sides have moved tens of thousands of troops there since the 2020 clash in which 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed.
India’s navy also patrols the Indian Ocean to track deployments of Chinese warships. The drones would reduce operating costs for the navy, which currently uses long-range patrol aircraft such as Boeing Co.’s P-8I, the Indian security official said.
WSJ News Exclusive | India Moves Closer to Approving Purchase of Armed Drones From the U.S.
New Delhi is seeking to counter a more-assertive Chinese stance on the countries’ Himalayan border and boost surveillance efforts in the Indian Ocean.
www.wsj.com
Shuturmurg
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Holy shit, just came across this thread, never knew this tamasha is going on for 7 years 
WolfPack86
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India to announce major $1.8 billion drone deal with the US
Deals to acquire and lease MQ-9 Predators to be unveiled during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit
India and the US are to announce one of their largest defence deals during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit to Washington. The deal to buy 18 MQ-9 Predator drones worth $1.8 billion (approximately Rs 14,824 crore) from the United States will bolster the India- US strategic partnership. Both countries are to also finalise a multi-billion dollar agreement to manufacture US-designed General Electric F 414 fighter jet engines in India. A separate Rs 800 crore agreement to lease two MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy, will also be announced.
The deals will cement the US’ position as India’s second-largest supplier of defence hardware after Russia. Since 2008, the US has sold India $18 billion worth of military hardware. The most recent deal was a $2.1 billion purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters signed in February 2020.
The MQ-9 is a satellite-steered High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone. It can fly at an altitude of 45,000 feet and stay on task for 35 hours. It has sensors like radar and electronic support measures which locate the enemy and can attack targets with bombs and missiles.
The Indian Navy has been operating two unarmed MQ-9 Sea Guardians obtained on lease from the US. These were inducted under the Indian Navy’s emergency powers in the wake of the Ladakh standoff in 2020 and meant to monitor the PLA Navy’s Indian Ocean deployments. Both RPAs are based at INS Rajali, a naval air station 70 km west of Chennai.
The MQ-9 acquisition has been in the pipeline for six years. In 2017, the navy proposed the purchase of 22 Sea Guardians. The following year, the defence ministry converted the case into a tri-services acquisition of 30 drones—ten units for each service. The numbers were slashed to just six units for budgetary reasons and to promote indigenously made equipment.
While the previous deal was between the Indian Navy and the US firm General Atomics under the navy’s emergency purchase powers, the new deal will be signed by India’s defence ministry and the foreign vendor. This deal is unique in the sense that there will be no transfer of technology or defence offsets. The drones will be delivered within five years. Also with this deal India will become the first non–NATO state to receive armed UAVs from the US for deployment along its borders and also the Indian Ocean region.
The MQ-9B, sometimes called the Predator-B, is a larger version of the Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) which first flew in 1994. The Predator-series RPAs are since the lynchpin of the US’s global presence, deployed in hot spots around the world. On March 14 this year, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a MQ-9 Reaper drone near Crimea forcing it to crash.
A senior officer said the MQ-9s are superior to the leased RPAs because they are military aircraft unlike the leased RPAs which are akin to ordinary leased aircraft. “ The MQ-9s we are buying are uprated with a new radar and higher service ceilings. They have a due regard radar, meaning one permitted to fly in controlled air space. The current (leased) drones fly at around 26000 ft and is not a military aircraft.”
“Area coverage and endurance of these crafts is a game changer that even satellite coverage can not provide. Satellites are good for strategic surveillance, for tactical surveillance in tactical areas these aircraft with their endurance, their operating height are really effective”, said Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai (Retd)
Drone have altered warfare. Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war are using drones to target troops, equipment and bunkers. A May 2023 RUSI report said Russia was shooting down 10,000 Ukranian drones a month. Closer home, Chinese drones have been a major concern for the Indian Army along the LAC. In December 2022 the Indian Air Force had to scramble its fighter jets to counter air violations by Chinese drones in Arunachal Pradesh. Pakistan too has been deploying drones to smuggle arms and drugs across the border. In June 2021 Pakistan based terror outfit attacked Indian Military establishment in Jammu and Kashmir using drones firing shaped explosive charges.
Pakistan has developed UAVs and UCAVs in collaboration with China and also there is a concern that Turkey’s impressive advancement in drones technology can lead to transfer of technology to Pakistan. In such a scenario, the Predator acquisition enables the Indian armed forces to boost effective surveillance on its land and sea frontiers before indigeneous options can be fielded.
“US, Russia and China and interestingly Turkey have developed drone technology. So yes, it is a cause of concern. They have counter drone capacity and we need to work on that. Presently there is a void in all three services as far as drone technology and surveillance is concerned. We need to fill that void. We are dependent on foreign technology and we are working on indigenous technology,” says Lt Gen Vinod G Khandare (Retd), Principal Advisor, Ministry of Defence.
Drones are the future in warfare and family of drones include small, medium and large drones, with a variety of payloads are leading the way. “India needs to take giant strides in manufacturing drones”, General Khandare says
www.news9live.com
.
Deals to acquire and lease MQ-9 Predators to be unveiled during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit
India and the US are to announce one of their largest defence deals during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming state visit to Washington. The deal to buy 18 MQ-9 Predator drones worth $1.8 billion (approximately Rs 14,824 crore) from the United States will bolster the India- US strategic partnership. Both countries are to also finalise a multi-billion dollar agreement to manufacture US-designed General Electric F 414 fighter jet engines in India. A separate Rs 800 crore agreement to lease two MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy, will also be announced.
The deals will cement the US’ position as India’s second-largest supplier of defence hardware after Russia. Since 2008, the US has sold India $18 billion worth of military hardware. The most recent deal was a $2.1 billion purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters signed in February 2020.
The MQ-9 is a satellite-steered High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone. It can fly at an altitude of 45,000 feet and stay on task for 35 hours. It has sensors like radar and electronic support measures which locate the enemy and can attack targets with bombs and missiles.
The Indian Navy has been operating two unarmed MQ-9 Sea Guardians obtained on lease from the US. These were inducted under the Indian Navy’s emergency powers in the wake of the Ladakh standoff in 2020 and meant to monitor the PLA Navy’s Indian Ocean deployments. Both RPAs are based at INS Rajali, a naval air station 70 km west of Chennai.
The MQ-9 acquisition has been in the pipeline for six years. In 2017, the navy proposed the purchase of 22 Sea Guardians. The following year, the defence ministry converted the case into a tri-services acquisition of 30 drones—ten units for each service. The numbers were slashed to just six units for budgetary reasons and to promote indigenously made equipment.
While the previous deal was between the Indian Navy and the US firm General Atomics under the navy’s emergency purchase powers, the new deal will be signed by India’s defence ministry and the foreign vendor. This deal is unique in the sense that there will be no transfer of technology or defence offsets. The drones will be delivered within five years. Also with this deal India will become the first non–NATO state to receive armed UAVs from the US for deployment along its borders and also the Indian Ocean region.
The MQ-9B, sometimes called the Predator-B, is a larger version of the Predator Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) which first flew in 1994. The Predator-series RPAs are since the lynchpin of the US’s global presence, deployed in hot spots around the world. On March 14 this year, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a MQ-9 Reaper drone near Crimea forcing it to crash.
A senior officer said the MQ-9s are superior to the leased RPAs because they are military aircraft unlike the leased RPAs which are akin to ordinary leased aircraft. “ The MQ-9s we are buying are uprated with a new radar and higher service ceilings. They have a due regard radar, meaning one permitted to fly in controlled air space. The current (leased) drones fly at around 26000 ft and is not a military aircraft.”
“Area coverage and endurance of these crafts is a game changer that even satellite coverage can not provide. Satellites are good for strategic surveillance, for tactical surveillance in tactical areas these aircraft with their endurance, their operating height are really effective”, said Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai (Retd)
Drone have altered warfare. Both sides in the Russia-Ukraine war are using drones to target troops, equipment and bunkers. A May 2023 RUSI report said Russia was shooting down 10,000 Ukranian drones a month. Closer home, Chinese drones have been a major concern for the Indian Army along the LAC. In December 2022 the Indian Air Force had to scramble its fighter jets to counter air violations by Chinese drones in Arunachal Pradesh. Pakistan too has been deploying drones to smuggle arms and drugs across the border. In June 2021 Pakistan based terror outfit attacked Indian Military establishment in Jammu and Kashmir using drones firing shaped explosive charges.
Pakistan has developed UAVs and UCAVs in collaboration with China and also there is a concern that Turkey’s impressive advancement in drones technology can lead to transfer of technology to Pakistan. In such a scenario, the Predator acquisition enables the Indian armed forces to boost effective surveillance on its land and sea frontiers before indigeneous options can be fielded.
“US, Russia and China and interestingly Turkey have developed drone technology. So yes, it is a cause of concern. They have counter drone capacity and we need to work on that. Presently there is a void in all three services as far as drone technology and surveillance is concerned. We need to fill that void. We are dependent on foreign technology and we are working on indigenous technology,” says Lt Gen Vinod G Khandare (Retd), Principal Advisor, Ministry of Defence.
Drones are the future in warfare and family of drones include small, medium and large drones, with a variety of payloads are leading the way. “India needs to take giant strides in manufacturing drones”, General Khandare says
India to announce major $1.8 billion drone deal with the US
Deals to acquire and lease MQ-9 Predators to be unveiled during Prime Minister Modi’s state visit
NoobWannaLearn
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Ig we need the aircraft
ISTAR sensors have been developed by drdo
Infact that was what drdo proposing right it has all resources to convert an aircraft into istar
Infact in 2020 there was a report India procuring 5 istar platform 3 being completely us last 2 with drdo sensor
If wrong then sorry
Lonewarrior
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Yup, just like in Naval forces our mine warfare capabilities absolutely sucks...our EW, surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance sucks in Aerial forces. We have zero EW warfare platform, way inadequate numbers of AWACS, no proper ISTAR platform
In case of this kind of HALE drones we only have three options; develope ourselves, buy from China or buy from USA.
Which one seems the best current solution according to you?
More than half of our heavy airlift fleet is American, most advanced attack helicopter that we have in substantial numbers are American, we only have American heavy lift helicopter that properly works, naval ASW helicopters are all American...so if it's really such a big issue, then we're screwed big time.
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15 for the Navy is overkill. Do they want to be omnipotent in every inch of the ocean around India or what?
IAF & IA seems to be getting a limited order only and will have to rely on indigenous options to fulfill larger requirement.
DumbPilot
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Did the Navy put in 15? I'm confident in them because they're the most rational out of all 3 - so it must have been for a reason
WolfPack86
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India clear Predator drone.
spacemarine2023
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Predators will come handy striking deep in paki terror hotspots in future..
keep manned air formations near border and send few predators under the umbrella of Meteor …
If predators can fly even 30 min below 300 meters … porkis r fcked
keep manned air formations near border and send few predators under the umbrella of Meteor …
If predators can fly even 30 min below 300 meters … porkis r fcked
Aniruddha Mulay
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Those 15 MQ-9B Reaper in addition to those 2 leased Reapers would go a long way in reducing the stresses put on those 12 P8I Neptune airframes which for so many years were carrying out the surveillance duties.
The fleet of 12 P8I Neptune have already surpassed 30,000 flying hours.
They flew more in 10 years than Tu-142 flew in their entire lifetime.
Aniruddha Mulay
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Those 15 MQ-9B Sea Guardians have to survey pretty much the entirety of the Indian Ocean Region and not just a 7500km coastline.Army and Air Force are getting 16 UAVs for a hostile land border of approximately 8,000km (Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan)
Navy is getting 15 UAVs for a maritime border of almost 7,500km
SwordOfDarkness
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TBH, makes sense. Navy is the only one that can use them in wartime, IA and IAF birds will be limited to preventing salami slicing and keeping tabs on chinese buildups.
WolfPack86
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Defence ministry okays procurement of Predator drones from US ahead of PM Modi's Washington trip
NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry on Thursday approved the procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework and the nearly USD 3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.
The procurement of the weaponised 'hunter-killer' drones from General Atomics was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, people familiar with the matter said.
The Sea Guardian Predator drones are being procured at a cost of around USD 3 billion to crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China, they said.
The approval of the long-awaited procurement following years of negotiations came around 10 days after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin held wide-ranging talks with Singh that focused on significantly expanding overall strategic and defence engagement between the two countries.
There is a likelihood of firming up an agreement on manufacturing of the GE-414 fighter jet engine in India during Modi's visit to Washington.
India is looking at the project to power its indigenously developed combat aircraft, the people cited above said.
The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul in July last year.
It is expected that the mega procurement deal worth around USD 3 billion would be announced following talks between Modi and Biden at the White House next week.
The defence ministry is now in the process of issuing an actionable letter of request (LoR) to the US government.
The formal contract is likely to be concluded after the US responds to the Indian communication with a letter of offer and acceptance.
It is not immediately known whether the procurement will have any aspect of technology transfer.
The people cited above said there could be an announcement on the deal in Washington next week but the final signing of the contract may take some time as the procurement will have to be cleared by India's Cabinet Committee on Security.
The Sea Guardian drones are being procured for the three services as they can carry out a variety of roles including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and over-the-horizon targeting among others.
It is learnt that the Navy is likely to get 14 drones while the Indian Air Force and the Army will get eight each.
The high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones are capable of remaining airborne for over 35 hours and can carry four Hellfire missiles and around 450 kgs of bombs.
The MQ-9B has two variants -- Sky Guardian and its sibling Sea Guardian.
In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean.
The lease period has been extended subsequently.
The Indian Navy has been bolstering its surveillance mechanism to monitor growing Chinese activities including frequent forays by PLA warships in the Indian Ocean Region.
Indian armed forces have been focusing on procuring unmanned platforms including armed drones in the backdrop of the eastern Ladakh border standoff with China, and to track movements of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean region.
The drone is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.
The MQ-9B has signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems integrated onboard, but it can take any number of other custom sensors as necessary.
In 2019, the US approved the sale of armed drones to India and even offered integrated air and missile defence systems.
The Indian Navy has been strongly pushing for the procurement to boost its overall surveillance over the Indian Ocean, a region that has witnessed increasing forays by Chinese ships and submarines in the last few years.
Following the eastern Ladakh standoff, India has significantly enhanced its day and night surveillance over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) using a fleet of remotely piloted aircraft.
The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In June 2016, the US designated India a "Major Defence Partner" paving way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology.
The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
The two sides also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.
In October 2020, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement to further boost bilateral defence ties.
The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.
www.newindianexpress.com
NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry on Thursday approved the procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework and the nearly USD 3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.
The procurement of the weaponised 'hunter-killer' drones from General Atomics was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, people familiar with the matter said.
The Sea Guardian Predator drones are being procured at a cost of around USD 3 billion to crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China, they said.
The approval of the long-awaited procurement following years of negotiations came around 10 days after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin held wide-ranging talks with Singh that focused on significantly expanding overall strategic and defence engagement between the two countries.
There is a likelihood of firming up an agreement on manufacturing of the GE-414 fighter jet engine in India during Modi's visit to Washington.
India is looking at the project to power its indigenously developed combat aircraft, the people cited above said.
The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul in July last year.
It is expected that the mega procurement deal worth around USD 3 billion would be announced following talks between Modi and Biden at the White House next week.
The defence ministry is now in the process of issuing an actionable letter of request (LoR) to the US government.
The formal contract is likely to be concluded after the US responds to the Indian communication with a letter of offer and acceptance.
It is not immediately known whether the procurement will have any aspect of technology transfer.
The people cited above said there could be an announcement on the deal in Washington next week but the final signing of the contract may take some time as the procurement will have to be cleared by India's Cabinet Committee on Security.
The Sea Guardian drones are being procured for the three services as they can carry out a variety of roles including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and over-the-horizon targeting among others.
It is learnt that the Navy is likely to get 14 drones while the Indian Air Force and the Army will get eight each.
The high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones are capable of remaining airborne for over 35 hours and can carry four Hellfire missiles and around 450 kgs of bombs.
The MQ-9B has two variants -- Sky Guardian and its sibling Sea Guardian.
In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean.
The lease period has been extended subsequently.
The Indian Navy has been bolstering its surveillance mechanism to monitor growing Chinese activities including frequent forays by PLA warships in the Indian Ocean Region.
Indian armed forces have been focusing on procuring unmanned platforms including armed drones in the backdrop of the eastern Ladakh border standoff with China, and to track movements of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean region.
The drone is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.
The MQ-9B has signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems integrated onboard, but it can take any number of other custom sensors as necessary.
In 2019, the US approved the sale of armed drones to India and even offered integrated air and missile defence systems.
The Indian Navy has been strongly pushing for the procurement to boost its overall surveillance over the Indian Ocean, a region that has witnessed increasing forays by Chinese ships and submarines in the last few years.
Following the eastern Ladakh standoff, India has significantly enhanced its day and night surveillance over the Line of Actual Control (LAC) using a fleet of remotely piloted aircraft.
The Indo-US defence ties have been on an upswing in the last few years.
In June 2016, the US designated India a "Major Defence Partner" paving way for sharing of critical military equipment and technology.
The two countries have also inked key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
The two sides also signed COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 which provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for the sale of high-end technology from the US to India.
In October 2020, India and the US sealed the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) agreement to further boost bilateral defence ties.
The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics and geospatial maps between the two countries.
Defence ministry okays procurement of Predator drones from US ahead of PM Modi's Washington trip
NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry on Thursday approved the procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework an
iNorthernerOn9
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