The US government had sanctioned the sale of 30 drones to India more than two years ago, but India had been dragging its heels on the matter. However, once dates for Modi’s four-day US visit from June 21 were set in stone, the Biden administration began exerting pressure on India to expedite the deal. The drones will primarily be deployed by the navy in the Indian Ocean Region.
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Whispers from insiders have spilt the beans that the defence ministry has given the nod for the procurement of MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. These fierce beasts have been tempered in American infernos, and a whopping 31 of them will be purchased for a colossal sum of just over $3 billion, courtesy of General Atomics. Just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s official visit to the US, the ministry granted initial clearance for the acquisition.
The capital procurement body of the ministry convened on Thursday to give the deal the green light, which will be unveiled when PM Modi meets US President Joe Biden. Biden has made it his mission to ramp up defence ties with India to counter China’s growing power and has proposed a military technology collaboration, despite no formal security alliance between the two countries. The ministry’s “Acceptance of Necessity” is the first step in the procurement process, which must now obtain Cabinet clearance.
The US government had already approved the sale of 30 drones to India over two years ago, but India had been dragging its feet on the matter. However, once dates for Modi’s four-day US visit from June 21 were confirmed, the Biden administration began applying pressure on India to expedite the deal. The navy will predominantly use the drones in the Indian Ocean Region, as India’s longtime rivals China and Pakistan have sophisticated air defence systems that could restrict the drones’ deployment along India’s land borders. Since November 2020, the Navy has leased two MQ-9B unarmed drones for surveillance purposes.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan recently wrapped up his two-day sojourn in New Delhi on Wednesday, where he met with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Modi. A week prior, American Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spent two days in Delhi and announced a joint road map for defence industry cooperation, providing a boost for India’s aspirations of self-reliance in weapons manufacturing. The US has been striving to break India’s reliance on Russia, its biggest weapons supplier for decades.
Furthermore, the Biden administration is on the brink of authorizing the production of General Electric’s engines in India for domestically manufactured fighter jets, which will also be unveiled during Modi’s visit.
