a few moments ago
- copy link
This deal was approved even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to America last year.
Defense deal worth Rs 32 thousand crore has been finalized between America and India on Tuesday. Under this, India will buy 31 Predator (MQ-9B Hunter Killer Drone) drones from America. This is a variant of the American MQ-9 Reaper drone.
These drones will be given to all three armies. A facility will be built in the country for its maintenance and repairing. Defense officer told news agency ANI that the deal was signed on Tuesday by senior officers of both the countries.
This deal was finalized in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week. India has done this with America a week before the US elections.
15 drones will be distributed between Navy and rest Army-Air Force America's General Atomics will provide this drone to India. They will be deployed at INS Rajani in Chennai, Porbandar and Sarsawa in Gujarat. Apart from this, it will also be deployed in Gorakhpur, UP. Indian Navy will get 15 Sea Guardian drones. Air Force and Army will get 8 such drones each.
Aljawahiri was killed by this drone The MQ-9B Predator drone is a variant of the MQ-9 Reaper drone. Hellfire missile can be launched from Reaper drone. The Americans had killed Al Qaeda leader al-Zawahiri in Kabul in July 2022 with this Hellfire missile.
This drone had killed Al-Zawahiri
- The MQ-9B drone is the second version of the MQ-9 'Reaper'. Last year, it was used to fire a modified version of the Hellfire missile in Kabul. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in this. It is believed that America also used it to find Osama Bin Laden. Although its old version was used then. The version that India is going to buy is said to be the world's most advanced drone.
- This drone can remain in the air for about 35 hours. This is fully remote controlled. This requires two people. It can monitor an area of ​​1900 kilometers once it takes flight. It can fly 482 kilometers in an hour. Its wingspan is 65 feet 7 inches and its height is 12 feet 6 inches.
- In 2020, the Indian Navy received two 'MQ-9B' Sea Guardian drones on lease from the US for one year to monitor the maritime border. Later the lease time was extended. It can be deployed for many things including surveillance, intelligence gathering and destroying enemy targets.
MQ-9B will monitor every trick of China on LAC border
- India wants to deploy MQ-9B drones in all three armed forces, land, sea and air. General Atomics, the company that makes this drone, claims that it is multitalented. The company says that apart from espionage, surveillance, information collection, it can be used to stop air support, relief-rescue operations and attacks.
- There are two variants of this drone, Sky Guardian and sibling Sea Guardian. India wants to buy this drone for two reasons. First- To monitor the area along the LAC without China knowing about it. Second- To stop China's intrusion in the South China Sea.
MQ-9 Reaper flew for the first time in 2001
- According to the American company General Atomic Aeronautical, the MQ-9A drone flew for the first time in 2001. The updated version of this drone is MQ-9B. After 2000, the US Army needed a driverless aircraft that could be controlled remotely. It was only after this that MQ-9A was made. It could fly continuously for 27 hours.
- After this, the updated version of this drone became MQ-9B SkyGuardian and MQ-9B SeaGuardian. As of May 2021, America had more than 300 such drones.
- More than 13 countries of the world like France, Belgium, Dominican Republic, India, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, UAE, Taiwan, Japan, Morocco use it.
Used in Somalia, Yemen and Libya During the 'War on Terror', America had deployed Predator and Reaper drones in Afghanistan as well as in the northern tribal areas of Pakistan. America's drones are also deployed in Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Syria. It was the Reaper drone with which the US monitored Al Qaeda's Osama bin Laden. After which Navy Seals killed bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011.
