The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with the US Government for the Tri-Service procurement of 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) on Tuesday. Additionally, another contract has been signed with General Atomics Global India Pvt Ltd for Performance Based Logistics for these RPAS, including Depot-Level Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) in India. The Defence Ministry said these contracts were signed in the presence of Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane in New Delhi.
The deal, which has been in the works for a long time, amounts to Rs 34,500 crore. The Indian armed forces already have experience in flying these drones, as they have been on lease with us for the last couple of years. The 31 drones will be used to meet the requirements of all three services, with 15 drones going to the Indian Navy, and eight each for the Army and Air Force.
Ministry of Defence today inked a contract with the US Government for Tri-Service procurement of 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). Another contract has been signed with General Atomics Global India Pvt Ltd for… pic.twitter.com/N2s2xIArvg
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) October 15, 2024
The MQ-9B drone has an endurance of approximately 40 hours, powered by a 900-horsepower engine. The drones can carry missiles and guided bombs. The naval variant, Sea Guardian, can detect ships and submarines at sea. It is a force multiplier and can be used for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and reconnaissance (ISR) at sea, as well as prosecuting contacts at sea.
The Sky Guardian can also be used for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance). The drones are capable of carrying missile and bomb loads, allowing for detection, engagement, and post-strike damage assessment. The US forces utilize Hellfire missiles when engaging targets.
General Atomics, based in the USA, manufactures the drone and has an agreement with Indian defence major, Bharat Forge for the production of certain components. Additionally, General Atomics plans to establish a maintenance facility for these drones in India.
Given India’s increasing challenges along its land borders and in the Indian Ocean, it is crucial to maintain surveillance across all our borders. The MQ-9 provides a significant boost to the operational capability, capacity, and optimization of the three services.
Brig SK Chatterji (Retd)
