Indian Defence Forces To Deploy 31 Predator Drones At Three Major Hubs Across Country: Report

Indian defence forces will deploy 31 Predator drones at major hubs across the country for comprehensive surveillance, including border areas with China and Pakistan, as well as the maritime zone.

Defence forces will deploy 31 Predator drones at major hubs to conduct comprehensive surveillance of the border areas with China and Pakistan. (Representational Image)

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The Indian defence forces will station 31 Predator drones at three major hubs across the country to monitor all areas, including the borders with China and Pakistan, as well as the vast maritime zone. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, the two countries announced Indian forces' plans to purchase 31 Predator drones. 

The plan is to deploy these drones at three major hubs, one in the north or northwest region and another in the northeastern region, from which they will oversee the entire region, news agency ANI reported citing officials familiar with the matter.

One of the hubs, according to the report, would be established at the INS Rajali, from which the forces are already operating the two Predator drones leased during the initial phase of a standoff with China in 2020-21, according to the report. 

The three forces would also operate these drones from bases that would allow for the launch and landing of such unmanned aerial vehicles, it said. 

The drones on lease are operated by General Atomics representatives, but Indian pilots from the three services will now be trained for this role in both India and the United States, as per the report. The drones would be operated collaboratively by the three services.

The tri-services headquarters also sent a proposal to the defence acquisition council in this regard. Officers from the three services conducted a thorough scientific analysis to determine the number of unmanned aerial vehicles of this long endurance variety, the report said. 

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The report said: "All future tri-service deals, including those for helicopters, drones, and air defence weapon systems, would be conducted in the same manner. India shares extensive maritime and land borders with two major adversaries, Pakistan and China, and must constantly monitor their activities to protect its national security interests". 

The Predators, also known as the MQ-9 Reaper, can fly for up to 36 hours at a time and can be used for targeted monitoring of any point or area of interest.