'Make in India' becomes top focus in MQ9B drone deal with the US
The drones will boost India's defence capabilities
India is preparing to ensure significant local production and sourcing to arm 31 MQ9B SeaGuardian and SkyGuardian drones. That is, India will mount locally produced arms on drones it's buying from the United States.
According to a report in the defence portal Livefist, the proposal documents related to the matter suggest that the Indian government’s proposal to the United States includes the specific transfer of a list of 'niche technologies', including the "capability to handle multiple simultaneous flights and handling from ground stations, sense and avoid tech for safe integration of unmanned aircraft in civilian airspace, design and development of a centralised mission intelligence station, multi-sensor data fusion techniques to generating actionable intelligence, sensors and weapons integration on unmanned platforms."
MQ9B drones to be made in India?
The Indian government is also planning to push for the local assembly of 21 of the 31 MQ9B drones being sought under a India-US deal between the Biden and Modi administrations respectively, the Livefist report added.
The revelations occur after the Indian National Congress, the principal opposition party, alleged corruption in the India-US deal. Following the political row, several reporters have been getting background details.
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India's defence ministry also recently cleared the 'Acceptance of Necessity' stage towards the procurement of 31 MQ9B drones that could cost up to $3.072 billion.
The Indian Navy currently operates two SeaGuardian drones on lease. They are reportedly in the third year of their operations and provide the Indian military with a surveillance capability it wants to rapidly expand over sea and land.
Also watch |Why drone tech in Indo-Pacific is important?
All of the 31 MQ9B drones being sought by India will be optionally armed with AGM-114 Hellfire or Brimstone munitions, Livefist reported.
Apart from sourcing these drones, the Indian Navy is already working with ADE and DRDO on TAPAS unmanned flights.
Who all have these MQ9B drones?
Only the United States has these drones and the capabilityto make them. China has been trying to acquire them but so far Beijing has not been able to do so.
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