Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 15: The deal to acquire Predator drones from the United States of America was approved on Thursday by the Defence Acquisition Council, or DAC, which is led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Cabinet Committee on Security will now have to approve the acquisition proposal once it has gone through a procedure, top government sources said.
The US Company General Atomics produces the Predators, which have proven to be one of the most effective weapons in the American war against the Taliban and ISIS terrorists.
Strike missiles that can hit enemy targets with pinpoint accuracy are carried by the high-altitude, long-endurance drones.
Long-range surveillance throughout the nation’s borders and in its maritime regions will also be carried out using these drones.
The deal, in which the marine force will receive 15 drones for using it in surveillance activities within its domain, is being led by the Indian Navy.
Each of the three services was to get an equal number of drones, which would be used for border area surveillance.
The MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones under discussion are produced by General Atomics, an American energy and defence company. The strike missiles that are carried by the high-altitude, long-endurance drones may hit enemy targets with extreme accuracy.
Two predator drones that were leased from an American company and are currently operated by India are assisting the Navy in keeping track of actions in the Indian Ocean region.
News agency Reuters reported on Wednesday, the Biden administration is pressuring the Indian government to approve the contract in advance of PM Modi’s visit. According to the Reuters report, India has been asked to be able to “show” progress on the agreement by the US State Department, Pentagon and White House.
Prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US from June 21 to June 24, where he will be hosted at the White House by US President Joe Biden, the drone deal has been approved. During his nine-year tenure as Prime Minister, this will be PM Modi’s first state visit to the US.
