MORE TEETH TO INDIAN OFFENSIVE AIR POWER

The Acquisition of MQ-9B RPAs from the US significantly enhances India’s Defence with Advanced Surveillance and Strike Capabilities

- AIR VICE MARSHAL SANJAY BHATNAGAR (RETD)

THE OUTCOME OF THE RECENT STATE VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi to the US has been path breaking. The visit has been extraordinarily successful with several substantive outcomes relating to semiconductors, defence acquisitions, access to critical technology and the Artemis Accord for space cooperation. Both countries have agreed on Technology and defence partnerships among others. In this new chapter on far reaching defence partnership, key takeaways have been the deal to co-produce GE’s F414 combat aircraft engines in India and the deal to procure MQ-9B UAVs. These UAVs will increase India’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

India would soon be joining the elite club of other nations operating the MQ-9B including the US Air Force, US Department of Homeland Security, NASA, the Royal Air Force, the Italian Air Force, the French Air Force and the Spanish Air Force.

The modalities of acquisition were cleared ahead of Modi’s visit on June 15, 2023 by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), accordingly the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for acquisition of 31 MQ-9B (15 SeaGuardian and 16 SkyGuardian) High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV from the US based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) through Foreign Military Sale (FMS) route, at an estimated cost of around $3.1 billion (₹25,000 crore). The AoN included 15 UAVs for the Indian Navy (IN) and eight each for the Indian Army (IA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF). The case for acquisition of HALE class of UAV is being progressed by the Indian Navy as a lead service while the IAF is the lead service for procurement of MALE class of UAVs.

OPERATIONAL EXPLOITATION GLOBALLY