MQ-9B
UAV ( UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES) : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NEWS:
Defence Acquisition Council approves amendment to MQ-9B UAV deal with U.S.
WHAT’S
IN THE NEWS ?
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has taken significant steps to enhance India's
defence capabilities. Key decisions include amendments to the MQ-9B UAV
procurement deal to boost indigenous content, approval for the refit of INS
Vikramaditya, and green lights for procuring advanced navigation systems for
AFVs and new interceptor boats for the Coast Guard. These measures aim to
bolster India's defence preparedness and self-reliance.
Defence
Acquisition Council (DAC) Meeting Highlights
1 MQ-9B UAV Procurement Amendments:
• Review and
Approval: DAC reviewed and approved amendments for the procurement of 31 MQ-9B
High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from
General Atomics, USA.
• Amendment
Details: Amendments are within the scope of the previously granted Acceptance
of Necessity (AoN) and focus on increasing indigenous content and related
aspects to boost self-reliance.
2 Completion of U.S. Process:
• Letter of
Offer and Acceptance: The U.S. has completed its process by delivering the
letter of offer and acceptance to India in March 2024.
• Next Steps for India: India needs to complete its
procedures, and the final approval must come from the Cabinet Committee on
Security before the deal can be signed.
• Expected
Conclusion: The MQ-9B deal, along with the GE-414 jet engine deal, is expected
to be concluded during the U.S. President's visit to India for the Quad leaders
summit in December.
3 Details of the MQ-9B UAV Procurement:
• Quantity and
Types: India plans to procure 31 MQ-9B UAVs, including 15 Sea Guardians for the
Indian Navy and 16 Sky Guardians (eight each for the Indian Army and Air
Force).
• Cost: The
estimated cost of the deal is $3.99 billion.
• Offset
Obligations: General Atomics will establish a Global Maintenance, Repair, and
Overhaul (MRO) facility in India as part of the offset obligations.
4 Scheduled Refit of INS Vikramaditya:
• Approval: The
DAC has approved a proposal for the scheduled refit of the aircraft carrier INS
Vikramaditya later this year.
5 Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) for
Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs):
• Acceptance of
Necessity (AoN): The DAC accorded AoN for the procurement of Advanced Land
Navigation System (ALNS) Mk-II for the Army's AFVs.
• Features:
ALNS Mk-II offers very high accuracy in navigational applications and is
compatible with defence series maps.
• Supplier:
This equipment will be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited.
6 Interceptor Boats for Coast Guard:
• Acceptance of
Necessity (AoN): The DAC approved the AoN for the procurement of 22 Interceptor
Boats for the Coast Guard.
• Capabilities:
These boats will be equipped with the latest state-of-the-art systems for quick
interception and shallow water operations.
• Uses: The
boats will be used for coastal surveillance, patrolling, search and rescue
operations, and medical evacuations.
Source : https://epaper.thehindu.com/ccidist-ws/th/th_delhi/issues/93024/OPS/GAND4HFDJ.1+GBAD4J5JO.1.html