Navy to lease two new MQ-9B Sea Guardian unmanned aircraft with US firm

The Indian Ministry of Defence recently signed a substantial Rs 1,943-crore agreement with American defense contractor General Atomics Aeronautical. This contract involves leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to augment the Indian Navy's capabilities. The new systems, equipped with advanced sensors and payloads, are expected to boost Maritime Domain Awareness significantly.

These drones will offer persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance coverage across extensive maritime areas, enhancing India's ability to monitor and respond to events in the Indian Ocean Region. Currently, the Navy operates two leased MQ-9As, which were initially procured in 2020 amid border tensions with China. The addition of these two new high-altitude long-endurance systems will expand the Navy's operational coverage in both the eastern and western regions.

The lease of the existing RPAS will expire after a certain period, while the new drones will continue until the delivery of 31 MQ-9B HALE RPAS. These new systems will have a similar configuration to the 31 MQ-9Bs being procured, unlike the current HALE RPAS. In 2024, India and the United States signed a $3.5 billion deal to procure these 31 drones for the Indian armed forces.

Besides ISR roles, the MQ-9B HALE RPAS can also perform precision strikes on strategic targets in mountainous areas and over the maritime domain during long-endurance missions. A global MRO facility will be established in India under a contract with General Atomics to assemble some of the MQ-9Bs in India, supporting India's long-term goal of boosting indigenous defense capabilities. Some components for these drones will be sourced domestically.