Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" armed drones by India. The move is seen as India further bolstering its national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Moreover, MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter.
“President Biden and Prime Minister Modi welcomed India’s plans to procure General Atomics MQ-9B HALE UAVs. The MQ-9Bs, which will be assembled in India, will enhance the ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) capabilities of India’s armed forces across domains,” a joint statement said.
San Diego-based General Atomics will also set up a global maintenance and repair facility in India “to support India's long-term goals to boost indigenous defense capabilities,” the statement said.
The development was confirmed by a senior administration official to news agency PTI ahead of the meeting by the two leaders. “With regards to the Sea Guardian, Yes. I think that's going to be announced by the leaders tomorrow. India is committing to the purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper armed UAVs,” said the official.
On June 15, India’s defence ministry had approved procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework. During the meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the procurement of the weaponised 'hunter-killer' drones from General Atomics was cleared.
In February, it was reported that India and the US are keen for an early conclusion of the 30 predator armed drones deal at a cost of over USD 3 billion, which will help New Delhi strengthen its overall surveillance apparatus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Indian Ocean.
About MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ Armed Drone
With an endurance of over 27 hours, the General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" speeds speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external stores, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
A highly sophisticated drone, MQ-9 ‘Reaper’ has been built on the experience gained with the company’s battle-proven Predator RPA, according to GA-ASI, adding it is a major evolutionary leap forward in overall performance and reliability