According to a report by The Times of India, India is set to sign a significant defence contract for 31 weaponised MQ-9B Predator drones from the United States next month. The arrangement needs the final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security, which is overseen by the prime minister after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has prepared a draft note for approval by the Finance Ministry.
A government-to-government agreement with the US includes a $3.9 billion contract worth about Rs 33,500 crore. The report of the contract negotiating committee has been approved, paving the way for the acquisition of drones, which will improve India’s capacity for combat and surveillance.
This development occurs before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in the United States for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders conference, which President Joe Biden will host in Wilmington, Delaware on September 21.
A source told Times of India that the contract is expected to be signed by mid-October and key details such as costing, the establishment of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India, and performance-based logistics support have been finalized after intense negotiations.
Although there won’t be a direct transfer of technology (ToT) as a result of this agreement, General Atomics, the drone’s producer, will invest in India and source more than 30% of its componentry from domestic businesses. The drones will be manufactured there.
General Atomics will also collaborate with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and provide expertise to support the development of high-altitude, long-endurance drones indigenously. The contract will see 15 Sea Guardian drones allocated to the Navy and eight Sky Guardians each for the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The MQ-9B drones, which can fly for over 40 hours at altitudes above 40,000 feet, will be outfitted with a variety of modern weapons, including 170 Hellfire missiles, 310 GBU-39B precision-guided bombs, advanced navigation systems, sensor suites, and mobile ground control systems. India also intends to outfit the drones with indigenous armaments in the future, such as the navy short-range anti-ship missiles (NASM-SR) being developed by the DRDO.
These drones will be crucial for long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, as well as over-the-horizon targeting. They will also be capable of anti-warship and anti-submarine warfare missions, which are becoming increasingly important with China’s expanding presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Chinese Navy has expanded its operations, including the deployment of submarines, posing strategic concerns to India’s maritime security.
India hopes to get the first deployments of fighter-sized drones over the next two to three years. These drones will be stationed in ISR command and control centres in Arakkonam and Porbandar for IOR operations, as well as in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur to protect land borders.
China’s deployment of survey and research vessels in the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR) is a rising source of concern for India’s security as it gathers data to improve its submarine operations. “Chinese nuclear-powered submarines, which occasionally enter the IOR, are expected to be deployed more regularly shortly,” a military officer told TOI. The acquisition of these drones is thought to be a significant step towards enhancing India’s military power in the area.
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India in talks to acquire 31 weaponised MQ-9B Predator drones for $3.9 billion from US
