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Congress says Centre procuring drones at ‘higher price’, demands transparency
India on June 15 approved a tri-service proposal to acquire a total of 31 drones, 15 MQ9B Sea Guardians and 16 Sky Guardian drones from the US at a price of $3 billion.
The Congress party on Wednesday questioned the government of India over the ‘India-US $3 billion Predator drone deal’ while claiming that the deal was cleared “without any meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)”.
The CCS is responsible for discussion, debates, and is the final decision-making body on senior appointments in the national security apparatus, defence policy and expenditure, and all matters of India’s national security.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government on the procurement of armed drones from the US, Congress spokesperson Pawan Kher alleged that the 31 MQ-9B Predator UAV drones were being procured for a higher price and claimed that several other countries have brought these at a much lower price than India.
Also Read: India to seek higher tech transfer in $3bn drone deal with US
“Why was there no meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to approve the drone deal? Why is India paying more for drones than other countries?” Khera questioned the Centre during a press address at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, New Delhi, on Wednesday.
Khera said that India’s national security was paramount and questioned why the government was in such a hurry to strike a deal even as several doubts were being raised on the predator drone deal, including by the India Air Force. Quoting a report from HT, Khera said that the army was rethinking the procurement of drones dues to high costs.
Khera claimed that what happened in the Rafale deal is being repeated in the Predator drone deal with the US.
“National Security is paramount for the Indian National Congress. There are several doubts and disturbing reports about this Predator drone deal. The Modi government is known to jeopardise national interests and the people of India have witnessed the same in the Rafale deal, where the Modi government bought only 36 Rafale jets instead of 126. We also saw how HAL was denied the transfer of technology. We also saw how several unilateral decisions were made, despite widespread objections from the Defence Acquisition Committee and the Armed Forces. The Rafale ‘scam’ is still under scrutiny in France,” Khera charged.
“We demand complete transparency in this Predator drone deal. India needs answers to the crucial questions. Otherwise, we will be trapped in another ‘scam’ under the Modi Government,” he told reporters.
He said that each Predator drone will cost approximately ₹812 crore and India is keen to buy 31 of those which will cost ₹25,200 crore. Instead, he said, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) can develop the same in just 10-20% of the cost.
“Is it not reminiscent of the Rafale deal wherein PM Modi ‘unilaterally’ signed a deal for 36 Rafales without the defence ministry or the external affairs ministry privy to it,” he asked.
“We demand complete transparency in this Predator drone deal. India needs answers to the crucial questions. Otherwise, we will be trapped in another ‘scam’ under the Modi government,” he told reporters.
Khera said that the Indian Army has informed the Centre that the requirement for the Predator drones is just 18. “Then why is the Modi government buying 31 drones now?” he asked.
He also raised questions on the relations of the CEO of General Atomics, the drone manufacturer, with the current rulers and influential personalities that led to securing the deal.
The Congress spokesperson further called the drones ‘outdated technology’ and ‘waste material’ of the US. “When we sell something as waste, how can it be sold at a higher price than the original one?… Is there any electoral bond or pegasus complementary with the purchase of a drone?”, Khera said, taking a dig at the government.
The US used these drones during a mission in 2017, and there has been advancement in technology with new and latest variants, Khera said, adding that according to the media reports, the US wants to discard these drones for more cost-effective and better variants.
Also Read: India will acquire MQ 9B drones from US in phased manner, weapons to be procured in phase II
In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh charged, “Once again a murky defence deal undercutting indigenous efforts with the PM at the centre comes to the fore.”
On June 15, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh approved a tri-service proposal to acquire a total of 31 drones, 15 MQ9B Sea Guardians and 16 Sky. The Sea Guardian drones will be responsible for maritime surveillance and domain awareness while the Sky Guardian drones will be used for guarding the land frontiers. The acquisition of 31 MQ-9B General Atomics unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is estimated to be worth $3 billion.
The formal acquisition process for the 31 weaponised MQ-9B Reaper drones, also known as Predator-B drones, will take place in early July. Earlier, the defence ministry in a statement had said that the price and other terms and conditions of the purchase are yet to be finalised and subject to negotiations.
(with PTI inputs)
