New Delhi: India is poised to finalize a significant defense deal with the United States for the procurement of 31 weaponized MQ-9B Predator drones, with the agreement expected to be signed next month. The Ministry of Defense is currently finalizing a draft note for the finance ministry before seeking approval from the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security.
The contract negotiation committee of the Ministry of Defense has approved the terms of this government-to-government deal, initially quoted by the U.S. at $3.9 billion (over Rs 33,500 crore). Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the U.S. for the Quad leaders’ summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21.
“The contract should be inked in mid-October. The costing, setting up of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility here, performance-based logistics support, and other such issues have been finalized after hard negotiations,” a source said, according to media reports.
Although the deal does not include a direct transfer of technology, the 31 drones will be assembled in India. General Atomics, the drone manufacturer, will invest in India and source over 30 percent of components from Indian companies. Additionally, General Atomics will provide expertise to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and other Indian entities to facilitate the development of similar drones domestically.
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Under this arrangement, 15 Sea Guardian drones are earmarked for the Navy, while 8 Sky Guardians each will go to the Army and Air Force. The 31 MQ-9B drones, capable of flying for almost 40 hours at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet, will be equipped with 170 Hellfire missiles, 310 GBU-39B precision-guided bombs, advanced navigation systems, sensor suites, and ground control systems. India also plans to integrate these drones with indigenous weapons, such as the naval short-range anti-ship missiles being developed by DRDO.
The drones will enhance India’s long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, as well as support anti-warship and anti-submarine operations. This capability is crucial given the growing presence of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
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“China has been systematically deploying its survey and research vessels in the IOR. Chinese nuclear-powered submarines, which as of now come to the IOR occasionally, will be on regular deployments to the region in the near future,” an officer stated.
India aims to receive the initial deliveries of these drones within two to three years. The drones will be deployed at ISR command and control centers in Arakkonam, Porbandar, Sarsawa, and Gorakhpur to monitor both maritime and land borders effectively.
