New Delhi: The Ministry of Defence has signed a 30-month lease and operational contract valued at approximately Rs 1,943 crore with American defence manufacturer General Atomics for two additional MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles to support the Indian Navy. The remotely piloted aircraft are designed to provide uninterrupted intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance across extensive maritime sectors, bolstering India’s strategic surveillance and maritime domain awareness across the Indian Ocean Region.
The advanced uncrewed systems are equipped with cutting-edge sensors, optical payloads, and long-range tracking capabilities capable of flying continuously for up to 40 hours while transmitting real-time surveillance imagery to ground control stations. The induction expands the Navy’s operational inventory of high-altitude surveillance platforms, building on its previous experience operating two leased Sea Guardian units since 2020 to maintain heightened vigilance across both eastern and western maritime theatres.
The interim leasing agreement precedes a broader defence acquisition concluded in October 2024, under which New Delhi approved a four-billion-dollar government-to-government procurement of 31 armed MQ-9B aircraft through the US Foreign Military Sales programme. That procurement includes 15 maritime variants for the Navy along with eight combat and reconnaissance units each for the Army and the Air Force, scheduled for phased induction starting in 2028 alongside dedicated domestic maintenance and overhaul facilities.
