Earlier today India’s Ministry of Defense signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for the leasing of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months. The contract is valued at approximately $203millionIt was signed in the presence of Additional Secretary & Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, Shri A. Anbarasu. In the photo on the extreme right is my friend Dr Vivek Lall of San Diego who is a top executive at GA.
The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities. The systems will provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region, according to a Press Information Bureau news release which is also the source of the photo.
Earlier India placed a large order for these drones for both the Air Force and the Navy and some of them are to be assembled in India.
Last updated: August 24th, 2026
