Indian Defence Ministry Discusses Acquisition of MQ-9B Reaper Drones Worth $3 Billion to Boost Surveillance Capabilities

The Ministry of Defence discussed the acquisition of MQ-9B Reaper armed drones from the United States during a meeting led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting was scheduled for 10 am and attended by top officials from the Defence ministry and the military.

In addition to the drone deal, the meeting also covered other defense agreements related to indigenous production.

The anticipated deal is valued at over $3 billion and involves procuring 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones. This acquisition is of great importance, especially considering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the US.

The Indian government intends to utilize these drones to strengthen its surveillance capabilities along the border with China and in the Indian Ocean region, according to sources cited by the Times of India.

The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" and has gained recognition for its involvement in the elimination of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul, where it utilized a modified version of the Hellfire missile.

Here are the key features of the MQ-9B:



- It comes in two variants, namely SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian. The Indian Navy has been operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian since 2020.

- The MQ-9B Sea Guardian has a maximum carrying capacity of 12,500 lb (5,670 kg) and a fuel capacity of 6,000 lb (2,721 kg), as reported by General Atomics.

- With an operational altitude of over 40,000 feet, the drone provides the Indian military with surveillance capabilities in high-altitude areas along the Himalayan border.

- The Predator has an impressive endurance of up to 40 hours, making it suitable for extended surveillance missions.

- The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is versatile and can perform various roles such as land and maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike operations, electronic warfare, and expeditionary missions.

- It is equipped with automatic take-off and landing capabilities.

- The MQ-9 and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are known as remotely piloted vehicles/aircraft (RPV/RPA) in the United States Air Force (USAF). These aircraft are controlled and monitored by an aircrew from a Ground Control Station (GCS), and the MQ-9 specifically is renowned as the first hunter-killer UAV.

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