India leases two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from US firm in Rs 1,943-crore deal

On Monday, India's defence ministry finalized a Rs 1,943-crore lease of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE drones from US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, lasting 30 months. The aircraft, fitted with sophisticated surveillance payloads, will enhance the navy's ability to monitor the Indian Ocean Region. This temporary arrangement fills the capability gap until the arrival of 31 drones secured in a 2024 inter-governmental foreign-military-sales deal.

That larger contract allocates 15 Sea Guardian models to the navy and eight Sky Guardian versions each to the army and air force, plus advanced munitions and a commitment to set up a local MRO facility. The Sea Guardian is the only certified HALE RPAS capable of over 30 hours of continuous surveillance in mixed civil-military airspace. The lease is intended to sustain operational readiness while the full fleet is being built.