New Delhi: The US Embassy in India said on Monday that it welcomes the Ministry of Defence’s contract with General Atomics for the lease of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems to the Indian Navy.
In a post on X, the embassy said the capability will strengthen maritime domain awareness and provide sustained ISR coverage across the Indian Ocean Region, calling it a step forward for the two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific. The embassy added that it looks forward to continued progress in the US-India defence relationship.
The Ministry of Defence announced on Monday that it had signed a contract with 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 for a period of 30 months.
The deal, worth roughly Rs 1,943 crore, was signed at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi in the presence of A. Anbarasu, Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) at the Department of Defence.
According to the ministry, the drones come fitted with advanced systems, modern sensors and sophisticated payloads that will considerably boost the Navy’s maritime domain awareness. Once inducted, the aircraft are expected to give the Navy round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over large stretches of ocean, helping it track and assess developments at sea more effectively.
Officials say the systems will improve India’s ability to keep watch over maritime activity and respond faster to developments across the Indian Ocean Region — reinforcing the country’s broader push to build a more networked and persistent surveillance capability at sea.
