India is set to lease two MQ-9B SeaGuardian armed drones from US defence company General Atomics for the Indian Navy under a contract worth approximately Rs 1,943 crore.
The Ministry of Defence signed the 30-month lease contract in New Delhi on Monday.
The drones are High-Altitude Long-Endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as precision strike missions.
The MQ-9B SeaGuardian can remain airborne for more than 30 hours, operate at altitudes above 40,000 feet and cover large maritime and land areas. It is equipped with advanced sensors and payloads and also has a self-contained anti-submarine warfare mission kit.
The Defence Ministry said the leased systems will strengthen the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities by providing persistent surveillance across large areas.
“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 ministry said.
The lease comes alongside India’s existing plan to acquire 31 MQ-9B drones from General Atomics under a deal worth about $3 billion. The agreement, signed during the Joe Biden administration, provides for 15 SeaGuardian drones for the Navy and eight SkyGuardian land-attack and reconnaissance drones each for the Army and Air Force.
India has also signed a performance-based logistics contract with General Atomics covering depot-level maintenance, repair and overhaul of the remotely piloted aircraft systems in India.
The two leased SeaGuardians will provide the Navy with additional long-endurance surveillance capability while the larger fleet acquisition is implemented.