Defence
Ahead Of Modi-Biden Meet, India To Start Process For Acquiring 31 MQ-9B Guardian Armed Drones From US
Ujjwal Shrotryia
Sep 06, 2023, 12:27 PM | Updated 12:27 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
India is currently in the final stages of preparing a 'Letter of Request' (LoR) to be sent to the United States government for the purchase of 31 MQ-9B drones from General Atomics (GA), reported The Indian Express.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden are scheduled to meet, on 8 September, ahead of the G-20 summit from 9-10 September.
The LoR, which will provide information on the equipment and terms of the procurement, is expected to be submitted within a month.
Once received, the US government and the Defence Ministry will negotiate and finalise the 'Letter of Offer and Acceptance' (LOA).
This LOA will outline the details of the equipment and terms of the procurement, and the price and terms offered by the US government including training, training materials, and supply of spare parts.
About three months ago (on 15 June), just a week ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US, the defence acquisition council approved the acquisition of 16 sky guardian and 15 sea guardian high-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems.
The Defence Ministry has clarified that the estimated cost of the drones is $3,072 million.
However, the final price will be negotiated once policy approval is received from the US government. The Defence Ministry stated that it will compare the acquisition cost with the best price offered by GA to other countries.
India aims to increase the indigenous content in the MQ-9B UAVs from the current 8 to 9 per cent offered by GA, to 15 to 20 per cent.
The assembly of the MQ-9Bs will take place in India, which will significantly enhance the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities of India's armed forces.
These drones will also have the ability to carry out precision strikes on strategic targets in mountains and the maritime domain during long-endurance missions.
According to a joint statement issued by India and the US, GA plans to set up a comprehensive global maintenance, repair and operations or MRO facility in India.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Editorial Associate at Swarajya. Writes on Indian Military and Defence.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.