India has approved the lease of two additional US General Atomics MQ-9 unmanned aircraft for the Indian Navy, marking a key enhancement of its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, sanctioned the move, which will strengthen monitoring along India’s borders and across the Indian Ocean region.
This decision comes five years after India first leased two MQ-9 aircraft in 2020, which have proven critical for persistent surveillance and real-time intelligence support for maritime and border security operations. The new aircraft are expected to further enhance maritime domain awareness in strategically sensitive waters.
The approval underscores the emphasis by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US leaders on advancing defence cooperation, prioritizing advanced technologies and interoperability as pillars of the US-India strategic partnership. Vivek Lall, a US-based aerospace scientist and CEO of General Atomics Global Corporation, has played a pivotal role over the past two decades in strengthening defence trade and facilitating access to US technologies for India.
Lall, previously a senior official at Lockheed Martin, also spearheaded the landmark agreement for 24 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters during a US presidential visit. His contributions extend to major procurements including 31 MQ-9B drones for India’s Navy, Air Force, and Army, Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, 22 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AH-64E Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters, and 10 C-17 Globemaster III transport planes.
These collaborations have strengthened India’s defence industry supply chain, benefiting over 100 public and private companies by integrating them into global manufacturing networks. The MQ-9, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft, is widely used by the US and its allies for intelligence and maritime monitoring, highlighting India’s growing reliance on advanced unmanned systems to secure its land and maritime frontiers.
