India signs Rs 1,943 crore deal to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardians from US firm

Key points

• “The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian…
• While the Army and Air Force will receive eight aircraft each of the SkyGuardian variant, configured for land-attack and reconnaissance…
• The lease is separate from India’s broader acquisition of 31 MQ-9B drones, under a deal valued at around $3 billion.
• The Ministry said the lease will strengthen the Navy’s ability to maintain persistent surveillance throughout the Indian Ocean Region, amid…

NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Monday announced inking an agreement with American defence major General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft for the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 1,943 crore.

The Ministry said the lease will strengthen the Navy’s ability to maintain persistent surveillance throughout the Indian Ocean Region, amid growing strategic activity in the maritime domain.

“The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities,” the ministry said in a press release.

It added that the aircraft would provide sustained intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) coverage over substantial stretches of the maritime domain.

What happened

“The systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region.”

The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is designed for long-endurance ISR and precision-strike missions. The aircraft can remain airborne for more than 30 hours, operate at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet and cover extensive maritime and land areas. It can also be configured with a self-contained anti-submarine warfare mission kit, adding to its utility for maritime patrol operations.

While the Army and Air Force will receive eight aircraft each of the SkyGuardian variant, configured for land-attack and reconnaissance missions, under that programme, the Navy is to receive 15 SeaGuardian aircraft.

The details

The immediate leasing of two SeaGuardians gives the Navy additional high-end surveillance capacity while the larger fleet acquisition progresses.

The systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region.