Indian military to acquire MQ-9B drones and F-414 engines. Here's how they will act as a deterrent

The Indian government has given a nod to a proposal by the tri-service (military, air force and navy) to acquire 31 MQ 9-Predator B armed drones worth $3 billion from the United States.

The decision was taken ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic state visit to the US on June 21.

This is the first major military deal signed by the Narendra Modi government after Indian Navy acquired 24 MH 60 R anti-submarine warfare helicopters from America in February 2020.

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On Thursday, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for purchasing armed drones.

In the next step, the procurement file would be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)—the final decision-making authority—for final approval before Modi leaves for Washington next week.

The CCS, headed by the PM, had given a nod to the manufacturing of General Electric F-414 jet engines in India in collaboration with the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on June 14.

The jet engines would be used in Made-in-India Tejas Mark 2 fighter jet—a single-engine combat aircraft.

These military deals are expected to give major firepower to the Indian armed forces, which face two hostile neighbours—Pakistan and China.

Predator drones

The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul.

It has two variants, SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian. The Indian Navy has been operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian since 2020.

The navy in 2020 had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean.

The erstwhile Trump administration had expected India to finalise the deal in 2020, but New Delhi had certain conditions.

India wanted American manufacturing firm General Atomics to set up a regional maintenance repair and overhaul facility in India for the drones.

Capabilities of the drone

It comes with nine hardpoints capable of carrying sensors and laser-guided bombs, besides air-to-ground missiles. It has an endurance of over 27 hours and can operate up to 50,000 ft high with a 3,850-pound (1,746 kg) payload capacity.

It is capable of carrying multiple mission payloads, including Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Lynx, Multi-mode Radar, multi-mode maritime surveillance radar, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), laser designators, and various weapons and payload packages.

The Sea Guardian drones can carry out a variety of roles, including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and over-the-horizon targeting among others.

It has intelligence and communications intelligence systems integrated onboard and can take any number of other custom sensors as necessary.

F-414 jet engines for Tejas Mk-2

The GE-414 engine is a powerful and reliable engine that is currently used in a number of fighter jets, including the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the EA-18G Growler. It is expected to boost the performance and capabilities of MK-2 Tejas.

The GE F414 is a derivative of the GE F404 engine, which was developed in the 1970s. The GE414 has a number of features that make it an attractive choice for military aircraft.

These are:

High thrust: The GE F414 produces up to 18,000 pounds of thrust, which gives it the power to operate a variety of aircraft in a variety of missions.

High reliability: The GE F414 has a proven track record of reliability, with over 10 million hours of flight time accumulated.

Low maintenance: This engine is designed for easy maintenance, which reduces the cost of ownership.

Environmentally friendly: It meets all current environmental regulations and is designed to be even more environmentally friendly in the future.

(With inputs from agencies)

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