According to sources familiar with the matter, India’s procurement of 31 high altitude long endurance (HALE) drones from the United States will be carried out in a phased manner, involving the initial transfer of technology. The first batch of 10 drones will be acquired without weapons, while three tri-service intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance command centres will be established. One command centre will be located in the southern region, while the other two will be positioned in the northern region, with a specific focus on India’s northern boundaries, particularly the one shared with China.
On June 15, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved a tri-service proposal to procure a total of 31 drones. This includes 15 MQ9B Sea Guardians for maritime surveillance and domain awareness, as well as 16 Sky Guardian drones for safeguarding the land frontiers. The acquisition, valued at over $3 billion, will be conducted through US foreign military sales, utilizing the government-to-government route. The final approval is expected during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to the United States this week.
Although the initial consignment of drones will be limited to 10 and will not be armed, all drones will possess hard points, enabling them to carry missiles and laser-guided bombs at a later stage. The Narendra Modi government intends to incorporate an element of localization in the deal, rather than procuring all drones and weapons off-the-shelf. This will allow for the integration of Indian-built munitions into the drones. The acquisition of missiles and bombs for the drones will be the second phase of the deal, as not all drones will require armament. Additionally, not all drones may be manufactured in the US, according to the sources who requested anonymity.
Currently, India operates two Sea Guardian drones on lease from the manufacturer, General Atomics, stationed at INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu. The military has gained valuable experience in operating a HALE drone with a 40-hour endurance. The Indian Navy has expressed satisfaction with the performance of the leased drones, which provide real-time maritime domain awareness from Southeast Asia to Africa.
Both the Sea Guardian and Sky Guardian drones offer a range of capabilities, including over-the-horizon targeting, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, long-range strategic surveillance, electronic warfare, defensive counter air, airborne early warning, as well as support for law enforcement, humanitarian disaster relief, and search and rescue missions.
All 31 drones will operate under a tri-service command structure and will not be equally distributed, as per the sources. The specific roles of the drones will be determined by the three operational centres under the guidance of future theatre commanders and the permanent chairman of the chiefs of staff committee.
