India to purchase US MQ-9B drones

India has signed a contract with the United States for the supply of 31 MQ-9B drones: 15 units in the SeaGuardian version and 16 in the SkyGuardian version.

Here's What We Know

All MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones will be delivered to the Indian Navy. In addition, the Indian Army and Air Force will receive 8 MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones each.

These drones will be used primarily in the Indian Ocean region, where China and Pakistan have poor air defence coverage.

The drones will be purchased from General Atomics under an intergovernmental agreement. In addition, the United States is seeking to improve and deepen relations with India as China's dominance in the region grows.

Deliveries of the drones are expected to begin within four years of the deal.

The potential order also includes 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 310 GBU-39B/B laser-guided bombs and 161 integrated global positioning and inertial navigation systems. The total value of this order is estimated at almost $4 billion.

Source: India Today