MQ
9B - DEFENCE & SECURITY
News: India likely to sign deal with U.S.
for 31 MQ-9B drones by February 2024
What's
in the news?
●
The deal for 31 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs) with the U.S. is expected to be concluded by February 2024 and deliveries
will begin from February 2027, three years from the signing of the contract,
according to defence sources.
MQ-9B:
The MQ-9B has two
variants such as
●
The Sky
Guardian
●
The Sea
Guardian, its maritime variant.
Features:
●
The MQ-9B is designed to fly over the
horizon via satellite for up to 40 hours, depending on configuration, in all
types of weather and safely integrate into civil airspace, according to its
manufacturer.
●
For instance, the Sea Guardian
configuration can include a 360-degree
surface-search maritime radar, automatic identification system, sonobuoy
monitoring system, and sonobuoy dispensers for persistent anti-surface and
anti-submarine warfare missions.
Significance:
●
For the Army and Air Force, the MQ-9Bs can
provide round-the-clock surveillance looking far beyond the borders, for
instance on the movement of Chinese military buildup and troop movement along
the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and deep inside.
●
It also seamlessly integrates with other
U.S.-origin platforms that India operates, the P-8Is, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, MH-60R multi-role
helicopters among others expanding MQ-9B’s multi-domain mission set.