India requests acquisition of 31 MQ-9B predator drones ahead of Modi-Biden meeting: Report 

In response, the Biden administration is expected to provide a letter of offer and acceptance within the next month or two, with the pricing details and necessary notifications to the US Congress under its foreign military sales programme, the report mentioned.

The final price for the acquisition, which includes 15 Sea Guardians for the Navy and 16 Sky Guardians for the Army and Indian Air Force, will be determined through negotiations between the two nations. An initial estimate from the defence ministry noted a cost of nearly $3.1 billion for the deal, the report added.

The report added that the primary goal is to sign the actual contract for these high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) drones within the current fiscal year, pending approval from the cabinet committee on security. These drones, which will be “assembled” in India by the manufacturer General Atomics (GA), are expected to be inducted into the armed forces over the next six to seven years.

The LoR further outlines the specific requirements of the three services for the drones and their payloads, including equipping naval variants with maritime patrol radars. As part of the deal, General Atomics will establish a “cost-effective and comprehensive global maintenance” and repair facility in India, in addition to sourcing components from Indian firms.

These fighter-sized MQ-9B drones are designed for extended flights of up to 40 hours at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet, making them ideal for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. They are equipped with air-to-ground hellfire missiles and smart bombs for targeted attacks.

This acquisition of MQ-9B drones is also expected to support the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in developing indigenous HALE drones with the capability to fire missiles and precision-guided munitions at enemy targets before returning to their home bases.

The deal for the 31 drones is estimated to cost around $3.5 billion or almost Rs 29,000 crore, according to reports. India had reportedly initiated the process for the procurement of these Predator-B drones in early July.

Notably, the Indian Navy had previously leased two unarmed Sea Guardians from General Atomics in September 2020, effectively utilising them for high-end ISR missions in the Indian Ocean Region and along the 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control with China.