MQ-9B drone deal gets first-level clearance as State Dept notifies US Congress of sale to India

{DEFENCE TIES} DEEPENING RELATIONSHIP

- Shishir Gupta and Prashant Jha

After obtaining the first level of clearance from the relevant US Congressional leadership, the US State Department has formally notified the Congress of a possible foreign military sale of 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft or drones to the government of India on Thursday.

HT was the first to report, on Thursday morning, that the deal had got the first-tier clearance and that the State Department and General Atomics (GA), the manufacturer of the drones, had notified the Indian government, including its top national security leadership, of the progress on the sale.

In a statement later on Thursday, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said, "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.99 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today." With the Îndian government having cleared the purchase of the drones for $3 billion, the statement acknowledges that the actual dollar value of the deal will be lower based on final requirements.

The State Department's notification to the Congress came after the chair and ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee gave a nod to the deal. This is the first but most important step in the process to get legislative clearance, given the power of the committee leadership that spans across both parties.