US Approves Sale Of Armed Drones To India In $4 Bn Deal

The United States (US) State Department has approved the potential sale of 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, armed missiles and associated equipment to India for nearly USD 4 billion, marking a significant development in years of negotiations between the two countries.

India has long wanted to purchase massive, armed drones from the US, but past attempts were hindered by bureaucratic obstacles. According to Reuters, conversations over an armed version for India started in 2018, while those about an unarmed one have been going on for even longer.

While Thursday's approval doesn't guarantee the deal's finalisation, it represents substantial progress as the US strives to steer India away from purchasing Russian military hardware.

The State Department's green light suggests a critical hurdle may have been cleared, namely, the approval of US congressional committee leaders. Senator Ben Cardin, the Democratic chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, lifted his objection after the Biden administration pledged a thorough investigation into an Indian assassination plot on US soil.

"The administration has demanded investigation and accountability for the plot here in the United States, and for accountability within India against such activities," Cardin told reporters.

Prior to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington last June, before the plot's revelation, the Biden administration urged New Delhi to expedite the deal by addressing its internal bureaucratic delays.

At the moment, India leases a modest quantity of MQ-9Bs for use in intelligence-collecting missions. The planned contract includes 170 AGM-114R hellfire missiles, 310 laser small-diameter bombs, a precision-guided munition, and advanced communication and monitoring systems. The Pentagon said that general atomic aeronautical systems will be the principal contractor, as reported by Reuters.