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There are almost four more stages left before finalising prices of MQ9B reaper drones for the Indian armed forces to be acquired from the United States. According to top government sources, whatever price figures are in the public domain and political parties are sharing are indicative as no negotiations have been done so far. Also, after negotiations, the complete file of the acquisition of the drones will move to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for its approval, and after getting the nod, things would be locked.
Sources said that out of the close to 10 stages that are there for defence acquisition through Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of the US government, India is at stage 3— Acquisition of Necessity. During the process, the total price was shared by the US for this potential deal, which includes 31 drones along with the required systems and demands, at a staggering $3,072 million including systems, weapons, etc, officials claimed. But this is an estimate given by the US, they said.
After this, multiple stages will come, the technical committee will evaluate, the US congressional approval will be sought, and finally negotiations will be done before moving the file to the CCS, they added.
On Wednesday, the Congress demanded complete transparency in the multi-crore deal, while alleging that the MQ9B drones were being procured for a higher price.
Top officials in the government said that if India doesn’t delay or raise demands for systems to be equipped in the drones, the price may go down, but if there will be a requirement for other gadgets and there’s a delay, the price will increase.
Sources in the government said that the MQ9B drones are set to raise the country’s surveillance capabilities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
No neighbouring country has such technology
According to the sources, the MQ9B drones offer the latest technology and will be made available to India at the most competitive prices. These drones boast superior endurance and capacity when compared to the indigenous TAPAS drones in use. Once acquired, India will gain the ability to cover the entire LAC and gather the required details for enhanced surveillance and strategic planning. Notably, neighbouring countries, including China, do not possess similar technology.
Sources said that as India is already using two such drones on a lease, it would not require trials.
Transparency through FMS
The officials explained that the United States government, through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, will oversee the deal and conduct its own checks to ensure compliance with established protocols. FMS is a government-to-government agreement operated on a “no-profit no-loss basis” by the US with friendly countries. Other deals were also done in the same manner in 2009 including for Boeing C-17 Globemaster IIIs, government officials said.
Cost-saving through assembly in India
Sources said that the government will push for the assembly in India of maximum drones as it will reduce the cost.
India is eying a large number of these drones, making it the biggest such deal.
A Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility would also be established to address future requirements. This facility will ensure that the drones remain operational at their optimal efficiency and minimise downtime.
Who bought at what price
According to the official data of the US government, Belgium bought 4 MQ9B Sky Guardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $600 million, the UAE bought the highest number, 18 drones, at a cost of 2,900 million dollars, the UK bought 16 at a price of $1,100 million, the US also purchased five at a price of 547 million dollars. Apart from these countries, Taiwan has also bought these drones through the same process. On the other hand, officials are saying that India will buy 31 drones for 3,072 million US dollars, at a price of 99 million dollars per drone.
No trial or test required
As India is already using two such drones, government officials are saying that there would be no requirement for a test or trial. These two drones are already on lease from the same company and successfully operating in different locations. These two drones are highly capable and have high load capacity.
Complete LAC will get covered
According to a top government official, after the delivery of these drones, India will get complete coverage of the Line of Actual Control and Indian forces will be able to cover the whole area for surveillance. These drones have high endurance and will fly at higher levels, making them untraceable with more payload and maximum operational life.
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