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Defence ministry inks ₹1,943-cr deal with US firm to lease 2 MQ-9B drones for navy
The two remotely piloted aircraft are being leased for 30 months, the ministry said
The defence ministry on Monday said it has signed a ₹1,943-crore contract with US firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems to boost the navy’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The two remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) are being leased for 30 months, it said.
The navy already operates two such systems, leased from the US in 2020, for assured surveillance of the IOR. The platforms are based at naval air station Rajali in Tamil Nadu.
Equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, the MQ-9Bs will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime domain awareness capabilities, the ministry said.
“The systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening the country’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the IOR,” it added.
In 2024, India signed a deal worth $3.5 billion with the US to acquire 31 MQ-9B drones to boost its defence preparedness, primarily with an eye on China. The agreement came after a deliberative process in New Delhi that spanned eight years, involved negotiations with two US administrations, incorporated the lease of two drones in this period, and required, at the American end, a challenging process of congressional approval.
Fifteen drones will be for the navy, and eight each for the army and the Indian Air Force. The deliveries are expected to begin in 2029.
The acquisition of these drones, in a government-to-government deal, will significantly boost the Indian military’s strength as the versatile platform has the capability to strike targets with its on-board weapons, it can carry out ISR; and its other roles include electronic warfare, defensive counter air and airborne early warning. Last year, India and the US signed the 10-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership to boost defence ties.
The two leased MQ-9Bs have helped the navy keep a close watch on the Indian Ocean at a time when it has stepped up surveillance in the region to check China’s ambitions. Challenges in the IOR include China’s carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.
