India signs agreement worth Rs 32,000 crore with US to purchase 31 Predator drones
India has inked an agreement with the US to purchase 31 Predator MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs made by General Atomics. The development comes less than a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden discussed the purchase of drones during the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.
The agreement between the two nations includes purchasing 31 predator drones and setting up an MRO center in India, with a value of Rs 32,000 crore.
Agreement aims to improve monitoring abilities of Indian military
This agreement will improve the monitoring abilities of the Indian military. Reports suggest that the overall value of the agreement may increase to Rs 34,500 crore
Last week, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the project, assigning 15 birds to the Indian Navy and splitting the remaining between the Air Force and the Army evenly.
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Deal finalised at the Defence Acquisition Council meeting few weeks ago
India has been in talks with the US regarding the agreement for several years, but the final obstacles were resolved at the Defence Acquisition Council meeting a few weeks ago. This had to be done before October 31 since the American proposal was only valid until then.
India would be basing the drones at four possible locations, including INS Rajali near Chennai, Porbandar in Gujarat, Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Characteristics of MQ-9B drones
In February, the United States approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B drones to India’s military for an estimated $3.99 billion.
The MQ-9B Predator’s main feature is its whisper-quiet operation. The drone stands out from the crowd due to its stealth capability. Unless discovered, the drone can fly as close to the ground as 250 metres without the target being aware of its presence.
With a maximum speed of 442 km/h, the drone can soar at an altitude of around 50,000 feet, which is higher than that of a commercial airplane.
