India has signed an agreement with the US State Department to buy military drones. The agreement was signed between the two countries on Tuesday. India’s Ministry of Defense said that under the agreement, New Delhi will buy 31 armed ‘MQ-9B SkyGuardian’ and ‘Sea-Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance’ (HALE) drones from Washington. News from ReutersÂ
India has been negotiating with the US since 2018 to buy these two types of drones. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US last year. The country’s government had approved the purchase of drones before the visit. The Pentagon gave its approval for this in February of this year.
A Reuters report last year said that these drones purchased from the US will be used by the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region. As a result, the country’s surveillance and intelligence capabilities will increase. Aside from this, this agreement helped the US try to dissuade India from purchasing military equipment from Russia.
Some information about the MQ-9B SkyGuardian
Price: $129 million per unit
Capabilities: The drone’s features include high-resolution imagery, seamless integration into civilian airspace, and a flight duration of over 40 hours. It can also be applied to strike missions and target acquisition.
Features: The drone features an automatic takeoff and landing mechanism, a Lynx Multi-mode Radar, and a wingspan of 79 feet (24 meters). A transponder for the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor are also included.
Armament: The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is armed with Hellfire missiles and laser small-diameter bombs to make the enemy more terrified.
Integration: Other systems, platforms, and embedded technologies can be integrated with the SkyGuardian.
Detect-and-Avoid System: To enable safe operation in non-segregated airspace, the SkyGuardian drone is equipped with a Detect-and-Avoid system.
For more information on Sea Guardians drones designed for India, click the link.
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