Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will announce a series of defence and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic relations between the two key nations during Thursday’s State visit at the White House. PM Modi, who is on his maiden state visit to the US, began the second leg of his journey in Washington on Wednesday.
The White House, in a statement, said Modi and Biden will announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics 30 MQ-9B Predator (“Reaper”) drones armed drones by India. The move is expected to further bolster India’s national security and surveillance capabilities, not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The MQ-9B has two variants – SkyGuardian and its sibling SeaGuardian, news agency PTI reported.
HT earlier reported that India’s acquisition of 31 high altitude long endurance (HALE) drones from the US will be a phased exercise involving initial absorption of technology, with the first batch of 10 drones being without weapons, and the creation of three tri-service intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance command centres, one in the south and two in the north with a specific focus on India’s northern boundaries, especially the one with China.
On June 15, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh approved a tri-service proposal to acquire a total of 31 drones, 15 MQ9-B SeaGuardians and 16 SkyGuardian drones from the US. It was reported that the nearly USD 3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Modi and Biden in Washington.
Facts about MQ-9B Predator (“Reaper”) drones:
1. The General Atomics MQ-9 “Reaper” can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Moreover, MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter.
2. The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external stores, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).
3. MQ-9 Reaper is a highly sophisticated drone built on the experience gained with the company’s battle-proven Predator RPA and is a major evolutionary leap forward in overall performance and reliability, according to GA-ASI.
4. In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently.
5. The baseline system of the MQ-9 carries the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-B), which integrates various sensors such as infrared, colour and monochrome daylight TV cameras, shortwave infrared camera, laser designator, and visual sensors for precise targeting
6. MQ-9 can be disassembled and loaded into a single container for deployment, and it can be transported using aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules or larger platforms. This enhances its mobility and flexibility for deployment in various operational theatres.
(With inputs from agencies)
