MQ-9B: Will The US ‘Hunter-Killer’ Drones Help India Counter Chinese Counterparts?

India has reached an agreement with the United States to acquire 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance UAVs produced by General Atomics. This development follows discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden regarding the drone acquisition during the recent Quad Leaders’ Summit in Delaware.

The two nations finalized a deal valued at Rs 32,000 crore for the procurement of the 31 predator drones, which includes the establishment of a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India. This agreement is expected to bolster the surveillance capabilities of the Indian armed forces, with reports suggesting the total value could increase to Rs 34,500 crore.

Distribution of the fleet

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the project last week, allocating 15 drones to the Indian Navy and distributing the remainder equally between the Air Force and the Army.

Negotiations over the deal had been ongoing for several years, but the final obstacles were overcome recently at a Defence Acquisition Council meeting, which needed to happen before October 31 due to the time-sensitive nature of the American proposal.

India plans to station the drones at four potential locations: INS Rajali near Chennai, Porbandar in Gujarat, and Sarsawa and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

The proposed $3 billion drone deal with the U.S. comes at a time when China has already ramped up its supply of armed Cai Hong-4 and Wing Loong-II drones to Pakistan. Concurrently, China has maintained its military confrontations with India in eastern Ladakh for the fifth consecutive year.

As per reports, Pakistan has requested an additional 16 armed CH-4 drones, adding to the seven already in use by the Army and three by the Navy.

MQ-9B Reaper capability

The MQ-9B Reaper, also known as the Predator-B, is capable of flying for approximately 40 hours at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet, making it suitable for surveillance. Equipped with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and precision-guided bombs, these drones are regarded as significantly more advanced than their Chinese counterparts.

It is noteworthy that two years ago, the Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in Kabul, Afghanistan, by a Hellfire missile launched from a drone.

Manufactured by the U.S. company General Atomics, the MQ-9B has a range of about 1,800 kilometers and is utilized by the U.S. Air Force and its NATO allies. These drones are capable of operating in various weather conditions and can carry payloads exceeding 2,000 kilograms.

The operational effectiveness of the MQ-9B has been bolstered through extensive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions conducted by two unarmed Sea Guardian drones leased from General Atomics. These missions have taken place over the Indian Ocean Region and along the 3,488-kilometer Line of Actual Control with China.

MQ-9B drones assembly

According to a reports, the package of 31 drones and related equipment—including 170 Hellfire missiles, 310 GBU-39B precision-guided glide bombs, navigation systems, sensor suites, and mobile ground control systems—is estimated to cost $3.9 billion (over ₹33,500 crore). However, efforts were  put to reduce this cost.

Defense ministry evaluated the prices and terms offered by the U.S. government and General Atomics to other nations, and there were concerted effort to finalize the deal within the current calendar yeay.

The assembly of these drones will take place in India, with General Atomics planning to source some components from Indian companies and establish a global maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility there. The first ten MQ-9B drones are anticipated to be inducted within a couple of years after the contract is signed.

Read More: India To Sign $3.1 Billion MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drone Deal With US: All You Need To Know