started · updated
Indian Navy to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones in ₹1,943-crore deal
The Indian Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹1,943 crore ($203 million) contract with US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems for the Indian Navy.
The 30-month leasing arrangement is designed to bolster the Navy’s maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, particularly within the Indian Ocean Region. The MQ-9B systems are equipped with advanced sensors and sophisticated payloads to provide persistent monitoring over vast maritime areas.
This lease follows a previous arrangement where the Navy leased two MQ-9A Sea Guardian drones in 2020. The new agreement will bring the total number of MQ-9B HALE UAVs on lease to four, providing immediate operational capacity while India awaits the delivery of 31 MQ-9B drones ordered in a larger 2024 procurement deal. The US Embassy in India welcomed the contract, noting its contribution to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific.
Entities
A. Anbarasu · General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. · Indian Ministry of Defence · Indian Navy · Indian Ocean Region · Indrajaal Autonomous Defence Systems · Ministry of Defence · Sigma Advanced Systems · United States Embassy in India
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The US Embassy welcomed the contract, stating it supports a shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific. www.punjabkesari.com · yespunjab.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The new lease will bring the total number of MQ-9B HALE UAVs on lease for the Navy to four. www.navalnews.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] The agreement involves leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems for 30 months. www.ssbcrack.com · www.navalnews.com · www.indiastrategic.in · bharatshakti.in · kalingatv.com · +6 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The drones are intended to enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region. www.ssbcrack.com · www.navalnews.com · www.indiastrategic.in · bharatshakti.in · kalingatv.com · +6 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] India previously leased two MQ-9A Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics in 2020, which were subsequently extended. bharatshakti.in · www.timesnownews.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] The contract was signed in New Delhi on August 17, 2026, in the presence of A. Anbarasu, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition). www.indiastrategic.in · kalingatv.com · www.latestly.com · newsable.asianetnews.com · www.punjabkesari.com · +1 more
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A 2024 agreement to procure 31 MQ-9B drones for the Army, Air Force, and Navy was estimated at nearly $4 billion. www.navalnews.com
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Indian Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth approximately ₹1,943 crore ($203 million) with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI). www.ssbcrack.com · www.navalnews.com · www.indiastrategic.in · bharatshakti.in · kalingatv.com · +6 more