IN NEWS: India is likely to sign a deal with the U.S. for 31 MQ-9B drones by February 2024.
MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) deal
- The deal for 31 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with the U.S. is expected to be concluded by February 2024, and deliveries will begin in February 2027, three years from the signing of the contract.
- The UAV maker General Atomics (GA) is scheduled to establish a global maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in India. But its location has not yet been finalized, the source said, adding that it could likely be Bengaluru.
- In June, the Defence Ministry cleared the procurement of 31 MQ-9B UAVs from GA, including 15 Sea Guardians for the Navy and eight Sky Guardians each for the Army and the Air Force, at an estimated cost of $3,072 million through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route.
The MQ-9B has the following specifications:
- Speed of 240 KTAS, or approximately 299 miles per hour
- Altitude of approximately 50,000 feet
- Can remain airborne for over 35 hours
- Can carry four Hellfire missiles and around 450 kg of other bombs.
The MQ-9B has the following capabilities:
- Taking out enemy targets with high accuracy
- Conducting maritime ISR operations, including:
- Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief
- Search and rescue
- Law enforcement
- Anti-surface warfare
- Anti-submarine warfare
- Airborne mine countermeasures
- Long-range strategic ISR
- Over-the-horizon targeting