India signs Rs 1,943-cr deal with US firm to lease 2 MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for Navy

The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads.NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at boosting the country’s maritime surveillance, the defence ministry on Monday signed a contract valued at Rs 1,943 crore with US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for leasing two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) for Indian Navy for a period of 30 months.The MQ-9B Sea Guardian, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime domain awareness capabilities. The systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthen