Delhi CM Atishi’s belongings thrown out from official residence, claims AAP
Manoj Punamiya Marking Milestones In India’s Real Estate Future
How an SIP calculator can help you reach your financial goals faster
Tips on Festive Eye and Lip Makeup Using High-Quality Products
Ratan Tata in critical condition, under intensive care in Mumbai hospital: Report
Mukesh Ambani once spent Rs 10000000 on his car only to get it...
Major setback for New Zealand as star player set to miss start of Test series against India
This train suffered Rs 6 crore loss since its launch, has 200-250 seats vacant daily, it runs from…
'Some ants are...': Harbhajan Singh's cryptic post leaves internet confused
Mastering the Art of Digital Transformation: The Journey of Rahul Saoji
This Apple watch feature saves woman's life, know how it happened
The Innovator's Journey: Ashok Choppadandi's Quest for Technological Excellence
Vedaa OTT release date: When, where to watch John Abraham, Sharvari-starrer action thriller
Hyundai Motor India Rs 27870 crore IPO: Check price band, subscription date and other details
Bhanu Devaguptapu: Navigating the future of health tech and enterprise solutions
Nobel Prize 2024 in Chemistry goes to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, John M Jumper
Breaking the Mold: BHP is Revolutionizing the Supercar Experience
Transforming Test Automation: Narendra Kumar Ale’s Innovative Approach to Integrating AI and ML
This man resigns on first day after joining office, says, 'repeated remarks about my…'
'It’s all about making that unique difference,' says director Ryan Shah
Meet IIT graduate who has joined Ratan Tata's company, to play key role in advancing...
Bigg Boss 18: Meet most educated contestant in Salman Khan's show; was threatened, attacked, jailed
Bigg Boss 18 Grand Premiere: PETA asks Salman Khan to surrender donkey
When Bigg Boss 18's Shilpa Shirodkar made a bold statement in support of sexy dance numbers
Video of leopard trying to enter safari bus after leaping through window goes viral, watch
'October 7 will never happen again': Israel Foreign Ministry vows to 'hunt' every terrorist
Malayalam actor T P Madhavan passes away at 88
Bangladesh Skipper Shanto takes a dig at India speedster Mayank Yadav ahead of 2nd T20i
EPFO to introduce instant SMS alerts to safeguard PF deposits from fraud
RG Kar case: CBI cites blood stain, DNA report as evidence in chargesheet against accused Sanjay Roy
Nagarjuna records statement in Rs 100 crore defamation case against Konda Surekha
Indian man swims 'butt naked' for two hours in Google Maps untraced Australian waterbody
Good news for UPI users as RBI increases UPI Lite wallet limit to Rs...
Mukesh Ambani's Jio offers mega plan, 2GB data per day, unlimited calls at just Rs...
Teacher faces backlash for giving extra marks to students for THIS reason
Woman in wedding dress rides sports bike viral video divides social media
PM Modi launches all-out attack on Congress, calls it 'parasitic party that...'
Baden Bower's PR Services drive EB1A visa success through high-impact publications
Vada Pav vendor claims to earn Rs 2.8 lakh monthly, social media says time to switch careers; watch
Top 10 Indian cities for UPSC preparation
A sweet revenge: BJP orders 1 kg 'Jalebi' for Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers after mega Haryana win
Influencer PERFECTLY copies Deepika Padukone's Singham Again accent, video goes viral
'Fate like Gaza': Israeli PM Netanyahu issues dire warning to Lebanon as Hezbollah continues firing
Omar Abdullah's BIG statement after winning J-K assembly polls, says 'whoever becomes CM...'
Not Anant Ambani but Mark Zuckerberg attended this wedding in India for the first time
'Kha gaye na dhokha'? This metro-themed Durga Puja Pandal is talk of the town! WATCH viral video
Meet man, who quit studies after school, learnt coding, established company worth Rs...
Bigg Boss 18 contestants Vivian Dsena, Chahat Pandey get into UGLY fight, watch video
Shares of this Mukesh Ambani company surged by 12000% in 60 months, market cap rose to...
RG Kar rape-murder case: Doctor’s association to hold nationwide hunger strike today
IND vs BAN, 2nd T20I Dream11 prediction: Fantasy cricket tips for India vs Bangladesh
DNA TV Show: Why Congress lost in Haryana Assembly elections
Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 to not clash with Singham Again? Kartik Aaryan film might get postponed, says...
Devara box office collection day 12: Jr NTR film fails to recreate Baahubali, RRR magic; earns Rs...
Watch: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma flaunt their football skills, video goes viral
Assembly Election 2024 Results: INDIA bloc's first win in J-K, BJP retains Haryana
By raising Rs 17,600 crore, Anil Ambani set for a REVIVAL, here’s how
WORLD
In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean.
India is in an "advanced stage" of negotiations with the US to procure 30 MQ-9B Predator armed drones for over USD 3 billion to crank up its surveillance apparatus along the frontier with China as well as in the Indian Ocean region, people familiar with the developments said on Sunday.
The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 "Reaper" which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul last month.
Authoritative sources in the defence establishment said talks between New Delhi and Washington are underway for the government-to-government procurement of the General Atomics-built drones, and rejected reports that the deal is off the table.
Dr Vivek Lall, the Chief Executive for the General Atomics Global Corporation, told PTI that the acquisition programme is at an advanced stage of discussions between the two governments.
“We understand that the MQ-9B acquisition programme is at an advanced stage of discussion between the US and Indian governments,” he said.
“Any questions on those discussions should be addressed specifically to the respective governments. From a company perspective, General Atomics is ready to support India and values our longtime relationship,” Lall added.
The high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) drones are capable of remaining airborne for over 35 hours and can carry four Hellfire missiles and around 450 kgs of bombs.
The MQ-9B has two variants SkyGuardian and its sibling SeaGuardian.In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently.
The Indian Navy has been bolstering its surveillance mechanism to monitor growing Chinese activities including frequent forays by PLA warships in the Indian Ocean Region.
Indian armed forces have been focusing on procuring unmanned platforms, including armed drones, in the backdrop of the eastern Ladakh border standoff with China and for tracking movements of Chinese warships in the Indian Ocean region.
The procurement proposal has been moved by the Indian Navy and all three services are likely to get 10 drones each.The drone is the first hunter-killer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed for long-endurance and high-altitude surveillance.
The MQ-9B has signals intelligence and communications intelligence systems integrated onboard, but it can take any number of other custom sensors as necessary.
READ| Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan could soon be arrested, here’s why