India to spend $4bn on US war drones

New Delhi is seeking to increase surveillance capabilities along its border with China, according to reports

New Delhi has sealed a deal to procure 31 Predator drones manufactured by the American company General Atomics, the Indian Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.  

The cost of the drones comes to around $4 billion, officials told the news agency PTI. Media reports also indicated that the Indian government sped up approvals for the acquisition to close it before the October 31 deadline set by the US. The Cabinet Committee on Security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the acquisition last week.

The signing of the deal takes place against the backdrop of friction between New Delhi and Washington over an investigation into an assassination attempt against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based lawyer and head of Sikhs for Justice, that US prosecutors claim was orchestrated by Indian agents.

As a part of the deal, India will also set up a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for the drones. General Atomics stated earlier it is collaborating with India’s Bharat Forge to make drone components, as per The Economic Times. The two nations are also working on a technology transfer deal, reports noted.   

Ministry of Defence today inked a contract with the US Government for Tri-Service procurement of 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). Another contract has been signed with General Atomics Global India Pvt Ltd for… pic.twitter.com/N2s2xIArvg

— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) October 15, 2024

While 15 of the newly procured drones will go to the Indian Navy, the Air Force and Army will each receive eight, the Economic Times has reported. These new drones are meant to increase India’s surveillance capabilities, especially along India’s contested border with China. 

The tension between New Delhi and Beijing is due to differences over the ill-defined border separating the two countries. Ties worsened further in 2020 after Chinese and Indian troops clashed in the contested Ladakh region, leading to casualties on both sides.

The two countries have held several rounds of talks since then, with the Indian government stating last month that most of the issues around disengagement had been sorted out. However, arrangements regarding border patrols and the size of the contingents of troops deployed along the border are still being negotiated.  

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The acquisition of the US-made drones is one of largest weapon procurements by India in recent years. It was approved despite the country’s push to reduce dependence on imported defense systems and increase domestic arms manufacturing.

Last week, New Delhi also approved the acquisition of two nuclear-powered attack submarines, estimated to cost around 450 billion rupees ($5.4 billion) as part of a long-term strategy to counter the Chinese naval presence in the region. The submarines will be manufactured in India.