US firm General Atomics is expected to replace the MQ-9B Predator drone at the earliest to carry out surveillance missions for the Indian Navy as per the requirements projected in the contract between the two sides.
As per the lease agreement between the Indian Navy and the US firm, they are supposed to fly a certain number of hours every month to meet naval requirements and that can’t be done by one bird only. They will have to replace the crashed bird to meet the contractual obligations, defence officials told ANI.
The Indian Navy has also briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the crash that took place off Chennai on Wednesday.
The Indian Navy had signed a lease contract with the American firm under the Contractor Owned Contractor Operated (COCO) model right after the Galwan clash in 2020. American drone pilots fly the drones for the Indian Navy missions sitting in an Indian Navy base near Chennai.
The Indian Navy has been using drones for surveillance missions in the Indian Ocean Region to keep an eye on Chinese military and intelligence-gathering vessels, along with operations against pirates and other elements in the area.
The Indian Navy had yesterday stated that a MQ-9B Predator High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) encountered a technical failure on Wednesday, after which the aircraft was navigated to a safe area over the sea and carried out a controlled ditching at sea off Chennai.
“A detailed report has been sought from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),” it added.
“The MQ-9B Predator drones (HALE RPA) flying for the Indian Navy are operated by General Atomics under a lease agreement between the Indian Navy and the American firm. The Indian side pays only for the services provided by the vendor and the drones are flown by the pilots from the vendor side. The Indian side has asked for a detailed report from the vendors on the accident,” Navy officials said.
(With ANI Inputs)
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