On Tuesday, India and the United States finalized agreements worth $3.87 billion for the procurement of 31 Predator drones for the three armed services and the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
The contracts were signed in the presence of senior defence officials. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the acquisition of the 31 drones last week. Out of these, 15 will be allocated to the Indian Navy, while the remaining drones will be evenly distributed between the Air Force and the Army.
Defence officials confirmed to ANI on Monday that the foreign military sales contract with the US government for the drones and the MRO facility was set to be signed on Tuesday. A team of American military and corporate officials was in India to oversee the contract signing.
The negotiations for this deal have been ongoing for several years, but the final obstacles were overcome in the weeks leading up to the Defence Acquisition Council meeting. It was essential to finalize the deal before October 31, as the validity of the US proposal was time-sensitive.
India plans to base the drones at four potential locations: INS Rajali near Chennai, Porbandar in Gujarat, Sarsawa, and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. This acquisition reflects a strategic move to enhance the capabilities of the Indian military through a comprehensive tri-services agreement, with the number of drones being determined based on a scientific assessment conducted by the forces.
