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Current Affairs-Topics
India's $3.3B Deal with US of 31 MQ-9B Predator Drones
The US has signed a contract worth Rs 28,000 crore ($3.3 billion) for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, with an additional Rs 4,350 crore ($520 million) for an MRO facility in India. |
Deal Overview and Financial Details
- Contract worth Rs 28,000 crore ($3.3 billion) for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones
- Additional Rs 4,350 crore ($520 million) for MRO facility in India
- Distribution: 15 Sea Guardians for Navy, 8 Sky Guardians each for Army and Air Force
- Deal includes advanced weaponry: Hellfire missiles and precision-guided bombs
- First drone delivery by January 2029, complete delivery by October 2030
- 21 out of 31 drones to be assembled in India
Technical Specifications and Capabilities
- High-altitude long-endurance (HALE) UAVs operating above 40,000 feet
- Flight duration: 30-40 hours without refueling
- Maximum speed: 442 km/h
- Payload capacity: 5,670 kg, including 2,721 kg fuel capacity
- Stealth features: Can fly as low as 250 meters silently
- Armed with Hellfire missiles and GBU-39B precision-guided bombs
- Superior to Chinese drones like Cai Hong-4 and Wing Loong-II
Strategic Importance and Deployment
- Enhanced surveillance capabilities along China border and Indian Ocean Region
Four deployment locations:
-
- Arakkonam and Porbandar for Indian Ocean Region
- Sarsawa and Gorakhpur for land borders
- Roles include maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, reconnaissance
- Significant boost to India's unmanned warfare capabilities
- Real-time situational awareness in maritime domain, day and night
- Automatic take-off and landing capability with civil airspace integration
Additional Agreements and Future Plans
- MRO facility to provide maintenance support for 8 years or 1.5 lakh flying hours
- Performance-based logistics support from General Atomics
- General Atomics to provide expertise to DRDO for indigenous drone development
- Second-largest US defense deal after C-17 Globemaster-III aircraft
- Total US defense deals with India exceed $25 billion since 2007
- No direct technology transfer, but consultancy support for indigenous development
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