The most important strategic partnership of the 21st century is that of India and the United States and one of the most important dimensions of that alliance is cooperation on security. As the capitals of large, vibrant democracies, Washington and New Delhi are natural partners and share many of the same broad goals for peace, stability and security throughout the globe. They already help each other in many ways and the scope for that work only will increase.
One great example is with unmanned aerial systems. The Indian Navy is a pioneer user of some of the most advanced new unmanned multi-mission aircraft in the world, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian, which are built by the American contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Specifically, the Indian Navy flies two preproduction-model MQ-9Bs in a lease-hire agreement with the company. Negotiations are underway toward the acquisition of a larger fleet of newer, more capable, full-production model aircraft.
The precise terms of this agreement are still in the works, but what already is clear is that a future slate of MQ-9B aircraft for the Indian military would incorporate heavy use of Indian technical know-how and production support on the subcontinent. The program for these aircraft would follow in the footsteps of other collaboration agreements in which users of advanced unmanned aircraft build much of them for themselves.
One example is the program negotiated between the United States and the United Kingdom. The Royal Air Force also flies the MQ-9B. In its case, British builders produce the aircraft’s v-tails and other components within the United Kingdom, which are then assembled with the final aircraft for delivery. The Canadian government and others have similar agreements in which their operational aircraft have significant amounts of home-built components.
Work is underway in India to build a similar portfolio of partners. Some milestones already have been announced, including a partnership between builder GA-ASI and Bharat Forge, Limited, in which Bharat Forge will manufacture landing gear components, subassemblies and assemblies for the remotely piloted aircraft.
Bharat Forge is part of the Kalyani Group and represents India’s largest repository of metallurgical know-how, design, engineering experience and manufacturing prowess. The company has more than five decades of experience in manufacturing a wide range of high-performance critical safety components. It offers full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineer, manufacturing, testing and validation.
Partnerships like these, with the support of the American and Indian governments, let these nations contribute their best in the service of their common interests and objectives. And although the full outlines of an Indian program for MQ-9B continue to take shape, it’s already clear what the aircraft have contributed to the security environment around the Indian Ocean.
Over more than 10,000 flight hours of operations, the SeaGuardian has enabled India to greatly expand and improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from its own shores to the east coast of Africa and beyond.
These aircraft can fly for more than 30 hours, in some configurations, giving the ability to cover distances or remain over key areas, or both, that no human-piloted aircraft can match. Their high degree of operational availability means that much of the time, they are either aloft and ready for commanders’ tasking or they can be launched and put onto a mission at rates far greater than traditional aircraft.
Long wings, a light fuselage, an efficient turboprop engine — and no human crew members aboard — also mean that MQ-9B costs only a fraction legacy patrol aircraft to acquire and operate.
While it’s aloft MQ-9B provides a huge wealth of intelligence of all kinds. The aircraft can send back full-motion color video or high-definition infrared footage in day or night. It has a synthetic aperture radar that permits it to see through clouds, fog, mist and smoke. And it can collect a huge breadth of electronic intelligence via its other onboard sensors.
MQ-9B also is a highly capable and stable platform for a number of specialised payloads. These could include communications relays to help other units keep in contact, or sensors such as a 360-degree maritime surface search radar to assess vessel traffic over large areas. The possibilities for SeaGuardian’s various missions are vast.
India’s Navy has played a key role in developing and proving all this for itself. One important area has been in the counter-piracy mission.
Over more than 10,000 flight hours of operations, the SeaGuardian has enabled India to greatly expand and improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from its own shores to the east coast of Africa and beyond
In a typical case, pirates sail into shipping lanes from East Africa and climb aboard commercial ships to seize control at gunpoint. In important cases, the Indian Navy has played a decisive role in finding, tracking and then rescuing these crews and ships — and SeaGuardian played a decisive role in those missions.
The aircraft’s long flight and loiter time means that it has the endurance to cover the ranges necessary to fly from southern India, find a ship of interest and then stay overhead to provide intelligence about it. Indian Navy commanders can see what’s happening on the vessel in real time over the SeaGuardian’s satellite link. That enables them to select the precise moment — on a calm night with no moon, for example — when they’ll act.
When Indian Navy commandos parachuted into action to save the crew of a ship captured by pirates, MQ-9B was overhead providing surveillance of the whole operation from start to finish. When authorities need to find a vessel of interest because they suspect it might be associated with smuggling or other nefarious activity, MQ-9B can provide a broad overhead picture and then zero in to find it — including reading the ship’s name off its hull.
These are only some of the advantages and capabilities that unmanned systems offer India as the result of a valuable partnership with the United States. With the support and cooperation of both nations there is a great deal more integration and advantages in store.
–The writer is Chief Executive at General Atomics Global Corporation
