NEW DELHI: India and the United States have signed offers price Rs 32,000 crore for the acquisition of 31 Predator drones, which will likely be distributed among the many Indian Military, Navy, and Air Pressure.
The offers additionally embody the institution of a Upkeep, Restore, and Overhaul (MRO) facility for the drones inside India.
“The offers had been signed by each side in presence of senior officers,” defence officers stated.
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The procurement of those superior “hunter-killer” drones, able to working at excessive altitudes for prolonged intervals, will considerably improve India’s army capabilities in conducting long-range strategic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, in addition to precision strikes towards high-value targets. This acquisition is especially essential within the Indian Ocean Area (IOR), the place China has been quickly increasing its naval presence and establishing turnaround services.
Below the phrases of the government-to-government deal, which obtained approval from the Prime Minister-led cupboard committee on safety on October 9, the deliveries of the 31 remotely-piloted plane techniques, together with Hellfire missiles, GBU-39B precision-guided glide bombs, navigation techniques, sensor suites, and cell floor management techniques, will begin in roughly 4 years and be accomplished inside six years, in keeping with a defence ministry official.
India intends to deploy the MQ-9B drones at ISR command and management facilities situated at Arakkonam and Porbandar for the IOR, and Sarsawa and Gorakhpur for the land borders. The Predator or Reaper drones are at the moment operated by a choose group of NATO nations and shut army allies of the USA. These drones are managed by way of satellite tv for pc and have a confirmed observe document in precision strikes in Afghanistan and different conflicts.
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Nonetheless, some critics argue that the drones have primarily operated in “uncontested air house” with out going through opposition from hostile air forces or superior surface-to-air missile techniques.
The MQ-9B contract would be the second largest deal that India has signed with the USA, following the induction of 11 C-17 Globemaster-III strategic-airlift plane by the Indian Air Pressure at a value of round $4.5 billion. Moreover, the Indian Navy has inducted 12 P-8I long-range maritime patrol plane from the US for $3.2 billion.
