Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the U.S., the Defence Acquisition Council on Thursday approved the procurement of 31 armed MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from General Atomics, defence sources confirmed. The deal is now awaiting final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security and is expected to be announced during next week’s visit.
The long-pending proposal to buy the high altitude long endurance armed UAVs was on the agenda of the Council, which is chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, when it met on Thursday morning, two sources said. They also confirmed that the Council approved the deal, which will be executed through the Foreign Military Sales route of the U.S. government.
Of the 31 UAVs to be procured, 15 are meant for the Indian Navy, with eight each for the Army and Air Force. Th total cost, estimated to be more than $3 billion, also includes maintenance, overhaul and repair of the platforms, Indian officials said.
