Biden, Modi to announce drone deal: WH

Press Trust of India

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will on Thursday announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" armed drones by India, the White House has said, a move which would further bolster India's national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China.

The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Moreover, MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter.

The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external stores, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

“With regards to the Sea Guardian, Yes. I think that's Wgoing to be announced by the leaders tomorrow. India is committing to the purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper armed UAVs,” a senior administration official said ahead of the meeting between the two leaders.

“We are delighted about that because I think that's going to substantially grow India's ISR capability which I think is incredibly important and useful to them, both on their posts, above the sea and on their borders,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity