Editorial: Drone deal, a game changer

The Predator armed drones are seen as a key part of India’s national security and defence needs

At a time when India is facing a two-front threat from China and Pakistan, the Defence Ministry’s approval for the acquisition of 31 weaponised MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, an advanced variant of the Predator drone, from the United States could be a game changer. The Rs 29,000-crore deal, expected to be formally announced during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington, will help crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the frontier with China. The induction of the high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) drones — 15 for the Navy and eight each for the Army and IAF — will boost the strike capabilities and long-range surveillance both in the Indian Ocean region and along the land borders. The armed forces have for long wanted the fighter-sized Predators, armed with air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs as well as capable of flying for 35 hours at a stretch. The finalisation of the mega project came amidst a bilateral meeting between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Delhi. The ‘hunter-killer’ drones, manufactured by General Atomics, comprise an in-built wide-area maritime radar, an automatic identification system, electronic support measures, and a self-contained anti-submarine warfare (ASW) kit. India would become the first non-NATO state to acquire these armed drones which can be used in a variety of operations, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, apart from serving the warfare requirements. The country is also seeking components of the equipment to be domestically manufactured to the tune of 60% of the weapons system.

China, which possesses armed Cai Hong-4, Wing Loong-II and other drones, has also supplied these combat drones to its all-weather ally Pakistan. This has created an asymmetrical situation for India. Currently, only some NATO countries and close military allies of the US have the Predator drones which were extensively used in the war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Biden administration is reportedly keen on inking this deal as soon as possible, which will create jobs and be politically beneficial ahead of the next year’s presidential elections. Biden has made deepening ties with India a cornerstone of his policy to counter China’s growing influence, placing special attention this year on collaboration between the world’s two largest democracies on advanced military technologies. The Predator armed drones are seen as a key part of India’s national security and defence needs. Experts have been rooting for the acquisition of such drones to keep China and Pakistan’s UAVs at bay. Indian armed forces have been focusing on procuring unmanned platforms, including armed drones, given the eastern Ladakh border standoff with China and to track movements of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean region. They are premier multi-role, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft in the world today.

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