Ahead of Modi’s visit to US, India approves procurement of MQ-9B armed drones

India’s defence ministry on Thursday approved the acquisition of 31 MQ-9B armed drones from the US, with a formal announcement on the deal expected during.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to Washington next week, people familiar with the matter said.

The clearance for procuring the drones made by General Atomics was given by a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh, the people said.

India is expected to buy the drones, which have an endurance of more than 27 hours and can operate at up to 50,000 feet, in a deal worth a little more than $3 billion, the people said. Fifteen drones will be for the navy, and eight each for the army and the air force, they said.

The deal is expected to be announced when Modi meets US President Joe Biden at the White House on June 22, the people said. This is only the third state visit hosted by Biden and the two sides are looking to the talks between the two leaders to lead to breakthroughs in collaboration in other areas, such as critical and emerging technologies.

There was no official word on the issue from the defence ministry or the armed forces.

India and the US have engaged in talks on the acquisition of drones for almost eight years, primarily to bolster the Indian armed forces’ surveillance capabilities. The Indian Navy currently operates two MQ-9 drones leased from the US in November 2020.

The acquisition of the drones gained urgency after the military standoff with China in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) began in May 2020, increasing the Indian military’s need to enhance its vigil along the disputed border.

The defence ministry’s “Acceptance of Necessity” is the first step in the formal procurement process, which will need to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by the prime minister. The two sides will also need to conclude negotiations on the final pricing of the drones.