The MQ-9B drones from the US would be a big upgrade in India’s monitoring programme. (Photo credit: Twitter/ @GenAtomics_ASI)
New Delhi: Following the eastern Ladakh border standoff with China, Indian armed forces have stepped up surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) using a fleet of unmanned drones. According to reports, India will soon receive 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones in a deal that is worth over $3 billion. While the addition of the MQ-9B drones from the US would be a big upgrade in India's monitoring programme, the deal was reported to be kept on the back burner since the negotiations had earlier run into problems over cost. However, the Predator drones are said to be the most capable of flying into battle. According to sources quoted by PTI, each arm of the Defence forces — Army, Air Force and Navy — will get ten drones each.
The MQ-9B drone is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.
It has signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems integrated onboard. It can take any number of other custom sensors as necessary.
The MQ-9B has two variants: the SkyGuardian and its sibling, the SeaGuardian.
The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul last month.
In January 2020, the MQ-9 'Reaper' is believed to have eliminated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad airport.
While the drone will be designed keeping in mind the requirement of the armed forces to keep a strong vigil over the mountainous areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the operating system will feature applications of Artificial Intelligence.
However, the armed forces will be able to use it for multiple purposes, including transporting essential supplies.
At the border, unmanned armed vehicles play a crucial role. It helps in real-time reconnaissance, target acquisition, and tracking of people and illegal activities via high-quality video feed.
The MQ-9Bs are designed to not only meet the standards of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but also to comply with civil airspace requirements in the US.
The remotely piloted drones are capable of remaining airborne for around 35 hours.
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