India will be able to maintain MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones on its own
India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will be able to provide repair and maintenance services for the MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles. These have been leased from the US.
Here's What We Know
The Indian Navy operates two unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. They were leased from the United States in 2020.
India has signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems under which the state-owned HAL will provide repair and maintenance of the drones itself. The work will take place at HAL's Bengalore facility.
The Indian company has been repairing and maintaining TPE 331-5 engines for 40 years. HAL is also working on setting up production facilities to produce engines under the HTT-40 project.
The MQ-9B SkyGuardian is a Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance (MALE) class unmanned aerial vehicle. It has a 24-metre wingspan and can fly for 40 hours at an altitude of 15 km.