United States State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said, “This is something that we’ll continue to deepen our cooperation with our Indian partners on,” and added that India would have “outright ownership” of the aircraft.
U.S. officials have said that arming India’s naval forces with General Atomics MQ-9B drones will improve their surveillance capabilities and protect the country from potential threats.
At an estimated cost of $3.99 billion (Rs 33,060 crore), the United States sanctioned the sale of 31 MQ-9B RPAs and accompanying equipment to India on 1 February.
“It offers India outright ownership of these aircraft,” Patel said, adding the US would continue to work with its Indian friends to fortify this alliance.
This acquisition will strengthen India’s defenses by enabling unmanned observation and reconnaissance patrols in active maritime lanes, strengthening its ability to tackle both current and future threats.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the much-anticipated massive drone deal during his historic June 2023 state visit to the United States.
Indian armed forces are bolstering their surveillance capabilities in the region, especially along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, by purchasing long-range drones.
The deal is for 31 High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs, which will be delivered to India. A total of sixteen SeaGuardian drones will be sent to the Indian Navy, with eight SkyGuardian land variants going to the Indian Army and four to the Air Force.
Officials from both countries have been in a back-and-forth on the proposed acquisition of the drones from US military company General Atomics ever since Washington responded to New Delhi’s Letter of Request for their purchase.
The anticipated acquisition was also mentioned by US defense secretary Lloyd Austin during his November meeting with India’s defense minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi.
On 15 June 2023, the Defence Procurement Council (DAC), led by Rajnath Singh, gave the Acceptance of Necessity or initial approval for the purchase of 31 MQ-9B drones from the United States via the foreign military sale route.
The High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones are rather powerful weapons, capable of carrying over 450 kgs of payload and remaining airborne for over 35 hours.
In 2020, General Atomics leased two MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to the Indian Navy to monitor the Indian Ocean. The lease was later renewed.
Their wingspan exceeds 22 meters, and their length is 11 meters. They are capable of operating for over 27 hours at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.
The drone has a maximum cargo capacity of 1,746 kg and an extra 1,361 kg of storage capacity, and it can achieve a real airspeed of 240 knots.
It carries a variety of weaponry and payload packages, as well as various mission payloads such as electro-supportive measures (ESM), laser designators, multi-mode maritime surveillance radar, and electromagnetic (EO/IR) sensors.
According to the US Air Force, the Reaper is capable of unleashing “eight laser-guided missiles, air-to-ground missile-114 Hellfire, which feature extremely accurate, low-collateral damage, anti-armour and anti-personnel engagement capabilities” during battle.
In what were supposedly “precision strikes” in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the Predator—the forerunner of the Reaper—became famous for the high number of civilian deaths it caused. This was reported by The Guardian. After the United States Air Force withdrew the RQ-1/MQ-1Predator in 2017, the Reaper was named the primary unmanned aircraft for the military.
