India is planning to buy MQ-9B drones from the US military. Both the Indian and US governments plan to sign the deal in February 2024. After 3 years, i.e., 2027, the delivery of the drones will start.
After six years of exclusive interest in buying predator drones from the US, the government has now agreed to sell them through Foreign Military Sale (FMS). The US agreed to sell on one condition to the Indian government. A Democrat, Cardin, said in a statement that the Biden government agreed to the contract only by asking the Indian government to support and cooperate thoroughly with the US Department of Justice in the death of Gurpatwant Singh Pannum. In the case of arms transfers to international governments, the US Congress plays a crucial role. The president should notify Congress before 30 days (about 4 and a half weeks) of any final action take place. The US Congress should be informed prior to any defence sales by American lawmakers.
Under this deal, India will get 31 armed drones at a cost of 3.9 billion dollars. In this series of 31 armed drones, the Navy will get 15 sea guard drones, the Air Force will get 8 sky guard drones, and the Army will get 8 sky guard drones. Their length is 36 feet, their wingspan is 66 feet, and their speed is 442 km/hr. These are Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). MQ-9B is a variant of MQ-9. The MQ-9B is known for its advanced features, firepower, and speed. It has the ability to operate with pin-drop silence. This predator drone can carry 450 kg of bombs, 4 missiles, and 1700 kg of payload and can travel 2000 miles in one go. Automatic Take-off and Landing Capability (ATLC) makes them take off from short runways like 4,000 feet. This becomes an advantage for the army in remote areas. The sky guardians are designed to fly in all types of weather for up to 40+ hours.
This deal brings a lot of advantages to the Indian army, navy, and air force. This makes India’s operations and observations in the Indo-Pacific region easy. These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAE) are highly beneficial for defence purposes and boost diplomacy.