The US has approved the sale of 31 armed drones to India, valued at around USD 4 billion, to enhance maritime security and domain awareness.

Washington: Vedant Patel, State Department Deputy Spokesperson on Tuesday while addressing his daily news conference stated that the sale of 31 armed drones to India at an estimated cost of around USD 4 billion will boost the maritime security and domain awareness capability and give the country unrestricted ownership of the drones.

Highlights Of The Drone Deal

Last week the United States approved the sale of MQ-9B armed drones to India at ana estimated cost of around USD 4 billion. This deal is considered to be a bloster for India’s capability to tackle and overpower various threats by empowering an unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrol in sea lanes of operation.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said that,”This sale, we believe, will provide India with an enhanced maritime security and maritime domain awareness capability.”

He further added that,”It offers India outright ownership of these aircraft, and this is something that we’ll continue to deepen our cooperation with our Indian partners on.”
The deal to acquire these armed unmanned surveillance aircrafts from General Atomics was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the United States in June 2023.

Effects Of This Deal On Indo-American Relations

According to the The agreement calls for 31 High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be delivered to India; the Navy will receive 15 SeaGuardian drones, while the Army and Indian Air Force will receive eight each of the land-based SkyGuardian variants.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which announced the deal’s approval on Thursday, stated that the planned sale will promote US foreign policy and national security objectives by fostering a stronger strategic engagement with India.

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, it will strengthen the security of a major defense partner, which is still a driving force behind political stability, harmony, and economic development in the Indo-Pacific and South Asian regions.

(With inputs from agencies)