India signs ₹1,943-crore deal to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for Navy
New Delhi. The Ministry of Defence has entered into a ₹1,943-crore ($203 million) agreement with US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems for the Indian Navy.
The 30-month leasing contract was signed on August 17 in New Delhi in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A Anbarasu, at Kartavya Bhawan-2.
The acquisition is aimed at strengthening the Navy’s ability to maintain persistent surveillance over India’s maritime areas and enhancing its maritime domain awareness (MDA), particularly across the wider Indian Ocean Region.
The MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems are equipped with advanced sensors, sophisticated payloads and other high-end surveillance technologies. Their long-endurance capability enables them to remain airborne for extended periods, allowing the Navy to maintain continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) coverage over large stretches of the maritime domain.
The leased platforms are expected to augment the Navy’s ability to track and assess maritime activity over vast areas, providing commanders with timely information for monitoring developments and responding to emerging situations.
The move assumes significance amid India’s growing focus on maintaining persistent surveillance across the Indian Ocean Region, where increased commercial shipping, naval activity and evolving maritime security challenges have heightened the importance of real-time maritime awareness.
By adding the MQ-9B Sea Guardians to its operational surveillance capabilities, the Navy will be better placed to monitor developments across distant maritime areas and build a more comprehensive picture of activity in the region.
The leasing arrangement also provides the Navy with access to advanced unmanned aerial surveillance capabilities without requiring an immediate long-term acquisition commitment, while enabling the service to strengthen its operational experience with HALE remotely piloted systems.
