MQ9 B drone sales to India enters next step as Congressional notification completes 30 days
India is expected to be fast-tracked now that the major hurdle of mandatory 30 days of Congressional notification is likely to pass without any objection from the lawmakers on Sunday, but for the routine procedural matters posed by the upcoming general elections. The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress in February about the determination of the State Department of a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of 31 MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 3.99 billion.
The 31 MQ9-B SkyGuardian Drones itself cost USD 1.70 billion, while the rest of the services including technology and equipment are estimated to cost USD 2.29 billion. In addition to 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian Aircraft, the proposed deal includes 161 Embedded Global Positioning & Inertial Navigation Systems (EGIs), 35 L3 Rio Grande Communications Intelligence Sensor Suite.
«This sale is necessary in furtherance of the US foreign policy and national security objectives,» the notification said.
The next step is for the United States to send a letter of offer and acceptance to India, which under normal circumstances should be considered as a mere formality.
Announced by US President Joe Biden during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington DC in June 2023, all major legal and bureaucratic procedures on the issue have already been cleared from the Indian side including that from the Union Cabinet.
After the letter goes out from the State Department, the next step is for India
