India, US sign ₹34,500 crore deal for 31 Predator drones, MRO facilities

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Predator drones for the Indian armed forces. As part of the deal, India will also see the establishment of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for the General Atomics-manufactured drones in the country.

Final approval for the mega deal was secured earlier this year during a Defence Acquisition Council meeting, with the Indian government cutting it close to an October 31 deadline set by the Americans. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) only approved the deal last week.

Of the 31 drones, 15 will be allocated to the Indian Navy, while the Air Force and the Army will each receive eight. The long-range drones will be armed and will add to the two that are already being leased by the Navy.

General Atomics, the manufacturer of MQ9B, has a tie up with Bharat Forge to make UAV components and has also committed to setting up a global maintenance hub for drones in India. The manufacturer will also provide consultancy assistance for an Indian programme to develop combat drones. According to media reports, the two countries are also looking to work out a technology transfer deal later.
The Predator B drone, made by General Atomics and called the MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. The Indian defence forces' newest acquisitions will be stationed at INS Rajali near Chennai, Porbandar in Gujarat, Sarsawa, and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.