India will buy 31 U.S.-made MQ-9B SeaGuardian armed drones manufactured by General Atomics and worth slightly over $3 billion. The drones will predominantly be used by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean Region, reports Reuters.
These drones are capable of a variety of roles, including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, over-the-horizon targeting, airborne early warning, and electronic warfare. The SkyGuardian variant has a wingspan of 79 feet and can carry a payload of 2155 kg on nine hardpoints.
The SeaGuardian variant can fly over the horizon via satellite for more than 30 hours and has advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Biden has made deepening defense ties with India a priority to counter China’s growing dominance, and has offered to collaborate on military technology even though the two countries lack a formal security alliance.
As part of the U.S.-India fighter jet engine deal, India is set to get at least 11 “major manufacturing technologies”. There is an “in-principle” agreement on the deal regarding U.S.’s General Electric‘s GE-F414 INS6 engine for India’s indigenous Tejas Mk 2 — an advanced version of the Light Combat Aircraft Mk1A developed and manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), headquartered in Bangalore.
“The engine will be manufactured in India with around 80 per cent of value and technology being transferred to HAL,” said sources, adding, “(for) the remaining 20 per cent also, there is no denial as such”.
Last month, the India-U.S. Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap was concluded during U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J Austin‘s visit, which is aimed to fast-track technology cooperation and co-production in areas of mutual interest.
