India plans to buy 30 armed drones from the US to increase its protection of the sea and land as disputes continue in China and Pakistan, according to officials who are familiar with the matter. India will agree next month to buy $3 billion 30 MQ-9B Predator drones manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics, an official said. This agreement will increase the strength of the Indian army as the drones they now have, can only be used for surveillance and reconnaissance.
India emerges as a US defense partner, particularly in opposition to Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and other parts of Southeast Asia. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi’s government is in the midst of $250 billion military modernization. India’s defense ministry and General Atomics did not respond to requests for comment. Pentagon officials also did not respond to a request for comment.
The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin is expected to visit India this month, according to local media, and President Joe Biden will join his counterparts in India, Japan and Australia for the first Quad bloc. The leaders will meet virtually on March 12th, according to an announcement posted on the Indian government website, which said they would discuss issues including supply chains, maritime security and climate change.
The MQ-9B drone can fly for about 48 hours and carry a payload of about 1,700 kilograms (3,700 pounds). It will give the Indian navy the power to better monitor Chinese warships in the southern Indian Ocean, and equip the force to deal with targets on the opposing Indian-Pakistan border in the Himalayas. Last year, India hired two unarmed MQ-9 attackers as border clashed with China, threatened to escalate into a full-blown conflict. They were eventually deployed after the Air Force expressed fears about drones held by the US workers flying across the border.
