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Defence & Security
Mahesh

26/06/23 10:33 AM IST

Acquisition of MQ-9B drones

In News
  • The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) recently, accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for acquisition of 31 MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian.
About MQ- 9B
  • The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul.
  • The MQ-9B has two variants SkyGuardian and its sibling SeaGuardian. The Indian Navy has been operating the MQ-9B Sea Guardian since 2020.
  • The drone can operate at over 40,000 feet, giving the Indian military surveillance capacity in the high-altitude Himalayan border areas.
  • The Predator also has the maximum endurance of 40 hours, making it useful for long-hour surveillance.
  • MQ-9B drones are equipped with advanced features such as automatic take-off and landing, detect and avoid system, anti-spoofing GPS, and encrypted communication links.
Significance
  • Acquiring MQ-9B armed drones will provide India with a strategic edge over its adversaries, as it will be able to conduct long-range surveillance and precision strikes without risking its manned aircraft or pilots.
  • Acquiring MQ-9B armed drones will also boost India's defence cooperation with the US, which has emerged as a key partner for India in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • The deal will also strengthen India's role in the Quad grouping of democracies along with the US, Japan and Australia.
Source- PIB

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