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Source-This post on MQ-9B drone deal is based on the article “Biden administration formally notifies U.S. Congress of possible 31 MQ-9B UAV sale to India” published in “The Hindu” on 1st February 2024.
Why in the News?
Recently, the U.S. Congress was officially informed of the potential sale of 31 MQ-9B high-altitude long-endurance armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to India, valued at approximately $3.99 billion.
What are MQ-9B Reaper drones?
| About | MQ-9B is a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial vehicle(UAV). |
| Developed by | US based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. |
| Variants | 1. The MQ-9B has two variants — Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian. 2. The Indian Navy has been operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian since 2020. |
| Features | 1. It can operate at over 40,000 feet. 2. It also has a maximum endurance of 40 hours, making it useful for long-hour surveillance. 3. It can support land, maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike, electronic warfare and expeditionary roles. 4. It is equipped with advanced features such as automatic take-off and landing, detect and avoid system, anti-spoofing GPS, and encrypted communication links. |
Note- The deal also includes 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 16 M36E9 Hellfire captive air training missiles, 310 GBU-39B/B laser Small Diameter Bombs (SDB), and 08 GBU-39B/B LSDB guided test vehicles with live fuzes, among other items.
What are the benefits of acquiring MQ-9B Reaper drones by India?
1) Lower Operational Costs– It offers 80% of a manned maritime patrol aircraft’s capability at just 20% of its hourly cost, making it highly economical for navies.
2) Enhance surveillance capability– For the Army and Air Force, it offers continuous surveillance extending far beyond borders. This includes monitoring Chinese military buildup and troop movements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and deep into enemy territory.
3) Integration with existing platforms– It also seamlessly integrates with other U.S.-origin platforms that India operates such as the P-8Is, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.
UPSC Syllabus- International Relations/ Science & Technology
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