Washington:

India and the United States today firmed up multi-billion dollar drone deal as PM Modi met Joe Biden on the first day of his three-day visit to the US. PM Modi held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and the two leaders discussed a range of issues to further strengthen India-US ties.

The drone deal was also discussed in detail by both leaders.

India is in the process of procuring 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones from the United States. The cost to acquire these drones is nearly $3 billion. India aims to heighten the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China.

The talks for this deal have been on for well over a year now. In June last year, the Defence Ministry approved the procurement of the MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian armed drones with air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs from the US under a government-to-government framework.

Apart from purchasing the drones, the Indian Navy is also looking to conclude two other major defence deals this financial year – 3 more Scorpene submarines and 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft.

THE MQ-9B SKY GUARDIAN AND SEA GUARDIAN DRONES

The MQ-9B drone is a high-altitude long-endurance remotely-piloted unmanned aircraft manufactures and sold by US defence firm General Atomics. It is known for delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

It is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for up to 40+ hours in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness 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:

1. Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief
2. Search and Rescue
3. Maritime domain awareness
4. Anti-surface warfare
5. Anti-submarine warfare
6. Airborne mine countermeasures
7. Airborne early warning
8. Electronic warfare
9. Long-range strategic ISR
10. Over-the-horizon targeting

The Predator drone has an impressive and proven record in West Asia as well as in Afghanistan. It is valued for its precision bombing capabilities and eliminating 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 the heart of Kabul in July 2022.

INDIAN ARMED FORCES – WHO GETS WHAT

The 31 drones that will be purchased from General Atomics will be divided between the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Army. 16 of the MQ-9B drones will be allocated to the Indian Navy to increase its 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 Line of Control with Pakistan, and the remaining eight will be assigned to the Indian Air Force for precision, targeted missions across borders.

The drone deal must be agreed upon and signed by both India and the United States before October 31, 2024, after which the approximately $3 billion price will be up for revision on part of the manufacturer – General Atomics, as per talks between both governments.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his delegation was given a detailed brief on the capability and other specifics of the drone during his official visit to the US in August.

With PM Modi visiting the US, both nations will prioritise the deal and want to make progress before the October 31 date lapses.
 

Washington:

India and the United States today firmed up multi-billion dollar drone deal as PM Modi met Joe Biden on the first day of his three-day visit to the US. PM Modi held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and the two leaders discussed a range of issues to further strengthen India-US ties.

The drone deal was also discussed in detail by both leaders.

India is in the process of procuring 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian drones from the United States. The cost to acquire these drones is nearly $3 billion. India aims to heighten the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China.

The talks for this deal have been on for well over a year now. In June last year, the Defence Ministry approved the procurement of the MQ-9B Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian armed drones with air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs from the US under a government-to-government framework.

Apart from purchasing the drones, the Indian Navy is also looking to conclude two other major defence deals this financial year – 3 more Scorpene submarines and 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft.

THE MQ-9B SKY GUARDIAN AND SEA GUARDIAN DRONES

The MQ-9B drone is a high-altitude long-endurance remotely-piloted unmanned aircraft manufactures and sold by US defence firm General Atomics. It is known for delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

It is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for up to 40+ hours in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness 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:

1. Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief
2. Search and Rescue
3. Maritime domain awareness
4. Anti-surface warfare
5. Anti-submarine warfare
6. Airborne mine countermeasures
7. Airborne early warning
8. Electronic warfare
9. Long-range strategic ISR
10. Over-the-horizon targeting

The Predator drone has an impressive and proven record in West Asia as well as in Afghanistan. It is valued for its precision bombing capabilities and eliminating 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 the heart of Kabul in July 2022.

INDIAN ARMED FORCES – WHO GETS WHAT

The 31 drones that will be purchased from General Atomics will be divided between the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Army. 16 of the MQ-9B drones will be allocated to the Indian Navy to increase its 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 Line of Control with Pakistan, and the remaining eight will be assigned to the Indian Air Force for precision, targeted missions across borders.

The drone deal must be agreed upon and signed by both India and the United States before October 31, 2024, after which the approximately $3 billion price will be up for revision on part of the manufacturer – General Atomics, as per talks between both governments.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his delegation was given a detailed brief on the capability and other specifics of the drone during his official visit to the US in August.

With PM Modi visiting the US, both nations will prioritise the deal and want to make progress before the October 31 date lapses.
 

New Delhi:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be on a four-day visit to the US beginning Friday to further boost the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two countries.

In Washington, Rajnath Singh will hold talks with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan among others.

India’s plan to procure 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, the proposed joint manufacturing of Stryker infantry combat vehicles and co-production of GE F414 engines in India are likely to figure prominently in Singh’s talks with Austin, officials said today.

“The visit is expected to further deepen and broaden the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” the defence ministry said announcing Singh’s trip to the US from August 23 to 26.

“The visit comes in the backdrop of the growing momentum in India-US relations and defence engagements at multiple levels,” it said.

Rajnath Singh will also chair a high-level round-table meeting with the US defence industry on the ongoing and future defence collaborations. He will also interact with the Indian community during the visit.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)