India To Buy MQ-9B Predator Drone Worth Of $3.1 Bn

The Indian Defence Ministry is moving forward with a major acquisition of Predator drones from General Atomics, following approval from the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 30 July, according to the media report.

Valued at about USD 3.1 billion, the deal is now awaiting expenditure approval from the Finance Ministry and final sign-off from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). To secure the current price and avoid potential increases, the acquisition must be completed by 31 October.

India’s Acquisition Plan
India plans to buy 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, each armed with air-to-surface missiles and laser-guided bombs. Sixteen of these drones will be used by the Indian Navy to bolster maritime security, eight will be allocated to the Indian Army, and the remaining eight will support the Indian Air Force. This acquisition is set to significantly enhance India's defence capabilities in both maritime and land operations.

The Indian military intends to receive 10 MQ-9B drones as soon as possible, with the rest delivered in batches every six months. The Navy's drones will be stationed at command centres in Arakkonam and Porbandar, near the coast, while the Army and Air Force drones will focus on surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

During his visit to the US in August, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed on the Predator drones' capabilities by General Atomics. These drones have a history of effective precision strikes in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

India currently operates two Sea Guardian drones, the unarmed versions of the Predator, which are on lease from General Atomics for maritime surveillance. Although the lease was set to end in January 2024, it has been extended by an additional four years. These drones provide real-time maritime domain awareness from the Sunda Straits in Indonesia to the Suez Canal and the southern Indian Ocean.

The urgency of acquiring armed drones has increased due to their growing use in global conflicts, such as in Ukraine and Gaza. Non-state actors like the Houthis and Hezbollah are also deploying drones. Moreover, China and Pakistan currently use weaponised drones, with China supplying such systems to Pakistan. This acquisition reflects India's strategic response to the changing nature of modern warfare and regional security challenges.

Overall, this deal marks a major enhancement of India’s defence infrastructure and underscores the rising significance of unmanned aerial systems in contemporary conflicts.