• The defence ministry approved procurement of 30 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from the US under a government-to-government framework. 

• The deal is expected to be announced following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington next week.

• The procurement of the weaponised “hunter-killer” drones from General Atomics was cleared at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

• The approval to the long-awaited procurement following years of negotiations came around 10 days after US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin held wide-ranging talks with Rajnath Singh that focused on significantly expanding overall strategic and defence engagement between the two countries.

• The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 Reaper.

• The defence ministry is now in the process of issuing an actionable letter of request (LoR) to the US government. The formal contract is likely to be concluded after the US responds to the Indian communication with a letter of offer and acceptance.

Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian

• The MQ-9B has two variants — SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian.

• MQ-9B SkyGuardian is the next generation of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), delivering persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) around the globe.

• SkyGuardian is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for over 40  hours in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the world — day or night.

• The aircraft is outfitted with Lynx Multi-mode Radar, an advanced electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, automatic takeoff and landing, and features a longer wingspan than its predecessors at 79 ft (24m).

• In addition to its industry-leading endurance and superior surveillance capabilities, SkyGuardian seamlessly integrates with its users’ other platforms, systems, and podded technologies, dramatically expanding the platform’s multi-domain mission sets.

• MQ-9B SeaGuardian is the maritime-focused sibling of the SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) that has been missionised using “bolt-on/bolt-off” maritime sensors.

• SeaGuardian is designed to fly over the horizon via satellite for over 30 hours (depending on configuration) in all types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, enabling joint forces and civil authorities to deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain — day or night. 

• This highly versatile maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft can seamlessly integrate a centerline wide-area maritime radar, an automatic identification system, electronic support measures, and a self-contained anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission kit. 

• SeaGuardian not only integrates the most advanced maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, but it is also the first RPAS in its class to enable real-time search and patrol above and below the ocean’s surface.

• In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently.

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