India signs Rs 1,943-cr deal with US firm to lease 2 MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for Navy

India has inked a Rs 1,943 crore deal with US firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for its Indian Navy, for a period of 30 months. These advanced high-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) will significantly bolster the Indian Navy's maritime domain awareness capabilities.

The drones will offer persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over expansive areas of the maritime domain, enhancing India's capacity to monitor and react to events in the Indian Ocean Region. The 30-month lease serves as a temporary solution until India receives 31 drones from General Atomics as part of a larger $3.5 billion deal signed with the US in October 2024.

This comprehensive contract, valued at $3.5 billion, encompasses the procurement of 31 MQ-9B drones for the Indian military, across the Indian Navy, Army, and Air Force. The deal includes advanced munitions, cutting-edge surveillance sensors, and a promise from General Atomics to set up a local maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in India.