IAF Confirms It Wants Unmanned Predator Avengers

Military Cooperation Key to Indo-US Relations

- Gulshan Luthra

NEW DELHI. We broke the story of India’s interest in the Unmanned Predator Avengers when Prime Minister Narendra Modi first met President Barack Obama, and later when he first met President Donald Trump in the Washington.

A top official in his delegation expressed India’s interest as a mention, as they in diplomacy for sending feelers, and formal notes were exchanged by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) through the diplomatic missions as per the laid down procedure. India asked for the aircraft’s specs and availability, and soon after the US State and Defense Departments cleared the sale of unmanned Predator Guardian for the Indian Navy for surveillance missions, IAF made another push.

There has been no official word on the request or possibility so far, but last month, on the eve of the Air Force Day on October 8, IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, told India Strategic in an interview that IAF is interested in a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV for “Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) role and will consider the Predator Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) in case it is offered by the US.”

He gave no details.