New Delhi: According to sources who spoke to Reuters today, the Defence Ministry has approved the purchase of armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones built in the US. According to one of the reports, India will spend just over $3 billion on 31 General Atomics drones. The initial approval from the Defence Ministry for the purchase comes only a few days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for a state visit to the US the following week. At a meeting scheduled on Thursday, June 15, according to sources in the government, the Defence Ministry is expected to make a decision regarding the purchase of Predator drones built in the US. The agreement has been in the works for a while, but it was put on hold to support the “Make in India” initiative. Just before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the US, which will take place from June 21 to 24, a meeting of the Defence Ministry will be held.
US Urges India to Seal Predator Drone Deal Ahead of PM Modi’s Visit
According to Reuters, the Biden administration is pressuring the Indian government to approve the contract before PM Modi’s visit, which was reported on Wednesday. According to the Reuters story, India has been asked to be able to “show” progress on the agreement by the US State Department, Pentagon, and White House. According to initial plans, the agreement will result in the purchase of 30 American Predator high-altitude, long-endurance drones that can launch missiles as part of their strike capacity. The drones were to be operated for border area monitoring and allocated equally among the three services.
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General Atomics’ MQ-9B SeaGuardian Drones in Focus
The MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones under discussion are produced by General Atomics, an American energy and defence firm. The strike missiles that are carried by the high-altitude, long-endurance drones may hit enemy targets with extreme accuracy. Two predator drones that were leased from an American company and are currently being used by India are assisting the Navy in keeping track of actions in the Indian Ocean region.
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