India has finalized a deal with the US State Department to acquire 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones, according to the South Asian nation's defence ministry.
The agreement, which follows discussions that commenced in 2018, is anticipated to substantially enhance India's surveillance and intelligence capacities. This move aligns with the US strategy to steer India away from purchasing Russian military hardware and to counterbalance China's expanding influence.
India's top defence authority greenlit the procurement in the previous year, just prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Washington. Concurrently, the Pentagon also approved the deal in February.
Reports indicate that the drones will primarily be utilized by the navy in the Indian Ocean Region. This strategic decision is influenced by the sophisticated air defence systems of India's long-standing adversaries, China and Pakistan, which could restrict the drones' operational scope along India's land borders.
