America’s Long Drawn Desire Coming To Reality: Defence Ministry To Go For $3 Billion ‘Predator Drone’ Deal

US has long been wishing for India to seal the ‘Predator drone’ deal in view of building strategic relations with India. Finally, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under Dence Minister Rajnath Singh has waved a green flag for this deal. However, the final deal will be locked from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS) as per the procedures by Indian Navy. This news has come prior to the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Washington in the coming week. An important point to be highlighted is that it will be a tri-service acquisition that is agreed upon by the three services – Navy, Army and Air Force led by the Navy.

This deal will be worth a whopping $3 billion that will lead to acquisition of 30 MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones.

What will India get?

The Reaper aircraft comes with nine hard-points. It is capable of taking sensor based and laser guided bombs apart from air-to-ground missiles. It can operate at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet for more than 27 hours, and its cargo capacity is 3,850 pounds (1,746 kilogrammes), including 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external storage.

Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Lynx, Multi-Mode Radar, Multi-Mode Maritime Surveillance Radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), laser designators, and numerous weapons and payload packages are among the mission payloads that it is capable of transporting.

The division between the three services goes as follows

As mentioned earlier, Navy will be leading this project. Hence, majority of the acquisition will go to them. It is to be noted that Army already has two unarmed versions of Sea Guardian. Army and the Air Force will be getting lesser number.

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Indian Armed Force needed Predator Drone really badly…

SN Ghormade, Retired Vice Admiral and former Indian Navy Vice Chief while speaking to media said that India has a vast maritime area. All that area needs to be kept under surveillance. Explaining all this, he further stated that India needs these drones “very badly”. He said, “Vice Admiral SN Ghormade (Retd), former Indian Navy Vice Chief speaks on Defence Ministry’s approval of Predator drone deal with US; says, “…We have a vast maritime area, which we need to keep under surveillance. Apart from that, we have a land border with our western & northern neighbours which also needs to be kept under surveillance. This is a capability that provides that factor of surveillance to keep our friendly forces and also our other neighbours in complete surveillance…This is a capability that Indian armed forces need very badly. It is something that is a very pragmatic decision that our Govt is pursuing…”

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Washington will update this matter to next step. PM Modi and US President Joe Biden is expected to discuss on this matter further.