India likely to decide on US Predator drone deal today; all you need to know about the MQ-9B SeaGuardian

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Defence Ministry is likely to decide on the deal to acquire US-made Predator drones at a meeting scheduled to be held on Thursday, June 15, government sources told India Today. The drones under discussion is the MQ-9B SeaGuardian drone. 

India has long expressed interest in buying large armed drones from the United States. The development on the deal comes after National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his visiting American counterpart Jake Sullivan on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious roadmap for Indo-US collaboration in specific high-technology areas, including semiconductors, next-generation telecommunication, artificial intelligence and defence.

On Wednesday, news agency Reuters reported that the Biden administration is pushing the Indian government to give nod to the deal ahead of PM Modi's visit. The US State Department, Pentagon and White House have asked India to be able to "show" progress on the deal for as many as 30 armable MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, according to the Reuters report.

The deal will reportedly cost India over USD 3 billion and will enable it to strengthen its overall surveillance apparatus along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Indian Ocean. The high-altitude long-endurance drones come armed with strike missiles which can take out enemy targets with a high accuracy.

All you need to know about the drone:

The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a maritime-focused drone that can fly over the horizon via satellite for over 30 hours in all weathers. According to the General Atomics website, the drone can “safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain -- day or night.”

The SeaGuardian can be used in a variety of operations including -- humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, search and rescue, law enforcement, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, long-range strategic ISR, over-the-horizon targeting, anti-submarine warfare.

The Quad grouping of countries - the United States, India, Australia and Japan - all operate, or have operated, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. Currently, India is leasing MQ-9Bs as part of an intelligence-gathering operation.

In an earlier interview with PTI, Vivek Lall, chief executive, General Atomics Global Corporation, had said, "MQ-9B would enable its Indian military users to fly farther than anything else in this category, spend more time in the air and handle a greater diversity of missions than any other similar aircraft. The SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian can deliver full-motion video in virtually any conditions, day or night, as well as other kinds of detailed sensing with their onboard systems".

India is currently operating two predator drones which were hired on lease from an American firm and they have been helping the Navy to keep track of activities in the Indian Ocean region.

(With inputs from India Today, Manjeet Negi)

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