New Delhi: The USD 3.1 billion 31 MQ-9B Predator drone deal between India and the United States is expected to be taken up for discussion and clearance at the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting scheduled to be held on July 29, according to a news agency report citing defence sources. This would be the first meeting of the DAC under Narendra Modi 3.0 and is expected to provide boost to the indigenisation process in defence sector.
The American side has offered to provide consultancy to Indian entities for developing an advanced indigenous advanced unmanned aerial vehicle as part of the MQ-9B Predator drone deal between India and the US. This will be discussed at the DAC meeting, sources said. The consultancy is expected to cut down the time taken for development of a highly advanced drone by a significant margin, they added.
For the last few years, India and the US have been holding discussions for the drone deal under which the three services will get the 31 drones, with the Navy getting 15 and the Army and Air Force getting eight each.
The MQ-9B drones are planned to be deployed at four places, including INS Rajaji near Chennai and Porbandar in Gujarat, by the Indian Navy, while the other two services will keep them jointly at two bases in Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh at Air Force bases due to long runway requirements, according to the sources. Sarsawa and Gorakhpur as bases will help in boosting military surveillance capabilities all along the Line of Actual Control with China, from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
The officials from General Atomics held discussions with Indian side in the last few weeks in this regard, the sources added. The American side has given its letter of acceptance to the Indian side at a price tag of around USD 4 billion but India is not planning to take the entire package and the cost for it would be lower than that. The Indian Navy is leading the negotiations with the American side as the drone deal is being done at the tri-service level. The Indian Navy would be deploying 15 MQ-9B drones for the coverage of the maritime zone.
With these highly capable long endurance drones, the IAF and the Army would be able to cover almost all the areas of interest along the LAC with support from other existing assets. The MQ-9B drones require a significant runway length for take-off and landing which are available with the Indian Air Force.
Expected to significantly enhance India’s ability to conduct unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and along its land borders with China and Pakistan, the MQ-9B Predator drones with a flight time of over 36 hours at heights over 40,000 feet, can be armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs. This fighter-sized drone specialises in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
In safeguarding India’s security interests, MQ-9B has proven to be a critical asset as it was used extensively to monitor anti-piracy operations from naval headquarters to get a clear picture of the actions taking place almost 3,000 km from Indian shores.
