The Ministry of Defence on Monday signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude long-endurance drones for the Indian Navy for 30 months.
The contract is valued at approximately ₹1,943 crore, according to a ministry statement.
“The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) for the leasing of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months,” the statement said.
“The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities,” it added.
It also said “the systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region.”
