US May Agree To Supply India High Powered Predator Drones During Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting USA on a four day state visit beginning on June 21. He will discuss pending defence deals with the US President Joe Biden and the other senior policy makers during his visit including the summit with the US President on June 22.

India and the US are discussing ways to co-produce defence equipment. This would help India become more self-sufficient in defence production, which is one of its long-term goals. As the two countries deepen their defence cooperation, these agreements and co-production initiatives could strengthen their bilateral ties and contribute to regional security and stability.

India and the US will be discussing a number of major defence deals including the sale of the MQ-9B Predator drones by the US to Indian defence forces.

The Indian Armed Forces are in talks with the US to buy MQ-9B Predator drones. The number of drones needed is still being decided. The Indian Navy had initially asked for 30 drones, but last year the Navy Chief hinted that the number may need to be reduced. The Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force have been pitching for the most advanced drone for quite some time. Finally, the deal can be concluded during this visit.

The Indian Navy leased two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics in 2020 after the Galwan Valley clashes. The lease has been extended and the drones are now being used for land and maritime surveillance operations in the Indian Ocean Region. They have also operated alongside P-8 aircraft from Boeing.

The Indian Navy and the US are working together to monitor the growing presence of Chinese boats in the Indian Ocean Region. The US has agreed to sell India 30 MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for $ 3 billion and will be through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS)”

India needs to be able to monitor its vast coastline and expanding maritime interests. MQ-9 Predator drones can help with this by providing maritime surveillance, detecting illegal activities, and supporting maritime security operations. By acquiring these drones, India can improve its defence capabilities, intelligence-gathering, and situational awareness.

The next is the deal over upgrading the M-777 Light Howitzer Guns by the US. The Indian Army already uses these guns, and the US has proposed an upgrade that will significantly increase their range. This will give the army greater firepower and flexibility on the battlefield. Further the supply of GE-F-1414 fighter jet engines will be on the agenda between the two sides during the talks.

India is planning to produce GE-F414 fighter jet engines under license. This will help India produce its own engines for the Tejas Mk2 and future Indian Navy warships. This will help India become more self-reliant in defence manufacturing.

Then India is looking for the supply of Skyer Armoured Personnel Carrier from the USA. India and the United States are exploring the possibility of jointly producing the Stryker armoured personnel carrier. This would replace the Russian BMP-2s currently used by the Indian Army. The collaboration would benefit both countries by meeting India’s defence needs and promoting local manufacturing and technology transfer.

Apart the supply of F/A-18 Super Homet is also under discussion. The Indian Navy is considering buying F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets for its indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. However, India may prefer the French Rafale fighters due to compatibility issues. Prime Minister Modi will be visiting France next month, and the Rafale fighter jets are expected to be discussed during his visit.

The above deals have been discussed before, and either a deal may be reached during the visit or the talks may be continued when the US President visits India in September. (IPA Service)