MQ-9B Predator armed drones Photograph:( Twitter )
The MQ-9B drone, a variation of the MQ-9 "Reaper," is said to have fired a modified Hellfire missile that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, in the centre of Kabul last month.
A long-planned plan by India to buy 30 multi-mission, armed Predator drones from the United States for the three services, at an estimated cost of more than $3 billion, is about to be finalised.
People with knowledge of the situation said on Sunday that New Delhi is in the advanced stages of negotiations with the US to purchase these drones in order to ramp up its overall surveillance apparatus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the Indian Ocean.
The three services are buying the long-endurance hunter-killer drones because they can perform a range of tasks, such as maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, over-the-horizon targeting, and hitting stationary ground targets.
The MQ-9B drone, a variation of the MQ-9 "Reaper," is said to have fired a modified Hellfire missile that killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, in the centre of Kabul last month.
According to reliable defence establishment sources, negotiations between New Delhi and Washington for the government-to-government purchase of drones made by US defence major General Atomics are in progress. These sources also refuted claims that the deal is off the table.
General Atomics Global Corporation CEO Dr. Vivek Lall told PTI that negotiations between the two governments are far along in the acquisition programme.
"We understand that the MQ-9B acquisition programme is at an advanced stage of discussion between the US and Indian governments," he said.
"Any questions on those discussions should be addressed specifically to the respective governments. From a company perspective, General Atomics is ready to support India and values our longtime relationship," Lall added.
According to the sources, the discussions are primarily aimed at resolving concerns about the cost component, the arsenal, and technology sharing.
The fourth two-plus-two foreign and defence ministerial dialogue between India and the US took place in Washington in April, according to what is known. The procurement proposal was discussed there.
General Atomics leased two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones to the Indian Navy in 2020 for a year of surveillance in the Indian Ocean. After that, the lease's term was extended.
(With inputs from agencies)
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