Defence Acquisition Council Approves MQ-9B UAV Deal Amendments

Source- This post on the Defence Acquisition Council Approves MQ-9B UAV Deal Amendments has been created based on the article “Defence Acquisition Council approves amendment to MQ-9B UAV deal with U.S.” published in “The Hindu” on 30 July 2024.

The Defence Acquisition Council has approved amendments to the deal for procuring 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from General Atomics in the U.S.

About the deal:

1. The deal involves purchasing 15 Sea Guardians for the Indian Navy and 16 Sky Guardians.

2. As part of the agreement, General Atomics will establish a Global Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India. This facility will count towards the offset obligations of the deal. It is anticipated that the deal will be concluded during the upcoming Quad leaders’ summit in December, which will include a visit from the U.S. President.

Other approvals

1. The DAC has also given approval for the scheduled refit of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, which is planned for later this year.

2. The DAC has approved the first step, known as the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), for procuring the Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) of the Army. This system, which will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited, offers high accuracy in navigation and is compatible with defence series maps.

3. The DAC has also approved the procurement of 22 Interceptor Boats for the Coast Guard. These boats are equipped with the latest technology for quick interception and can operate in shallow waters. They will be used for coastal surveillance, patrolling, search and rescue operations, and medical evacuation.

UPSC Syllabus: Science and technology (Defence)