PM Modi, President Biden To Announce Mega Defence Drone Deal: All You Need To Know About MQ-9B Predator

On June 15, India's Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework.

Washington: A move that would further bolster India’s national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” armed drones by India on Thursday.

“With regards to the Sea Guardian, Yes. I think that’s going to be announced by the leaders tomorrow. India is committing to the purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper armed UAVs,” a senior administration official said ahead of the meeting between the two leaders.

On June 15, India’s Ministry of Defence approved the procurement of 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework. It was reported that the nearly USD 3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Prime Minister Modi and US President Biden in Washington.

All You Need To Know MQ-9B Predator

• The General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator.
• MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter.
• The General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity
• This includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external stores, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
• MQ-9 “Reaper” is a highly sophisticated drone built on the experience gained with the company’s battle-proven Predator RPA and is a major evolutionary leap forward in overall performance and reliability, according to GA-ASI.
• The Sea Guardian Predator drones are being procured at a cost of around USD 3 billion to crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China.
• The procurement of the weaponised ‘hunter-killer’ drones from General Atomics was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

In February, it was reported that India and the US are keen for an early conclusion of the 30 predator armed drones deal at a cost of over USD 3 billion, which will help New Delhi strengthen its overall surveillance apparatus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Indian Ocean.

During National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval’s visit to the US in February, this issue was discussed during his meetings with top American leadership, including his counterpart Jake Sullivan.

During the meetings, it is believed that both sides expressed their eagerness to see that the drone deal is fast-tracked. India is eager that an early decision that would help it get an early delivery of the predator-armed drones that would strengthen its national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the LAC.