According to officials familiar with the situation, India will send the US government a letter of request (LoR) this week to start the process of buying 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) through the foreign military sales (FMS) programme, Washington DC’s government-to-government method of selling US-built military platforms and providing services and training to other nations.

The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) oversees the multi-tiered FMS programme on behalf of the US Department of Defence (DoD). The officials, who asked to remain anonymous, stated that the Indian LoR will specifically list the needs of the three services, information about the equipment requested, and the proposed terms of procurement.

Prior to pursuing the acquisition, which is thought to be worth $3.07 billion, US price and availability data was requested.
The 31 MQ-9B General Atomics high-altitude long endurance (HALE) drones will be purchased, according to the approval of need (AoN) given on June 15 by India’s defence acquisitions council (DAC), the nation’s top body for purchasing weaponry. The AoN issued by the council is the initial stage in the military equipment purchasing process in India.

Following formal congressional notification, the US will respond to the LoR with a letter of offer and acceptance (LoA), paving the way for India to start discussions with the US while appropriately taking into account the price and parameters that Washington DC has provided to other nations. Before it is presented to the cabinet committee on security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for final approval, the contract negotiating committee will finalise the agreement.

The proposed deal found mention in a joint statement issued by the US and India on June 22 during Modi’s first state visit to the US. It said General Atomics will establish a comprehensive global MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility in India to support the country’s long-term goals to boost indigenous defence capabilities.

The Congress party attempted to corner the government by raising questions related to pricing, the acquisition procedure, technology transfer, the numbers sought to be bought and how self-reliance in defence was being pursued.

Top government officials, however, mounted a spirited defence of the highly anticipated deal, stressing that India will negotiate a competitive deal with the US to boost the military’s strength, it will be transparent, it will involve transfer of critical technologies, help the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) develop such systems indigenously, and the number of drones to be bought is based on the operational requirements of the armed forces.

Fifteen drones will be for the navy, and eight each for the army and the Indian Air Force. Ten drones are likely to bought off the shelf, while the remaining 21 will be assembled in India, the officials said.

The 31 drones are available from the US to India for $3.07 billion. But there could be negotiations on this. Weapons, sensors, ground control posts, ground data terminals, ground handling apparatus, spare parts, and logistical support are all included in the anticipated price.
As earlier reported by HT, India will also negotiate a bigger element of technology transfer. It intends to increase the amount of technology transfer offered from 8 to 9% to 15% to 20%. The adaptable platform, which will be built in India, will be able to engage in electronic warfare, defensive counter-air, and airborne early warning in addition to being utilised for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

According to HT, the decision on how many drones to purchase was made after a scientific analysis that took into account the needs of the three agencies and the size of India’s land and maritime borders.

(WITH INPUT FEEDS)