New Delhi: The Indian armed forces are making every effort to sign the Rs 32,000 crore Predator drone deal for the 31 armed drones as soon as possible. The letters of request have been sent to the US Department of defence and General Atomics, the manufacturers, and there is an expectation that the deal, after the commercial negotiations, will be signed by February next year. The deliveries will begin in 2026.
Of the 31 Predator-B Drones, the Navy will get 15 and the Army and the Air Force will get 8 each. The Navy already has 2, but they have been taken on lease. The naval version of the Predator-B is slightly different from the ones that the Army and Air Force are getting. The Navy’s Sea Guardian Predators could be in Tamil Nadu. There will be 8 Predators in Saraswa (4 each of the Army and Air Force), which is in Uttar Pradesh, close to Haryana, and a similar complement in Gorakhpur, also in Uttar Pradesh.
Then, the defence ministry will need to sign a separate contract for bombs and missiles.
Apart from the United States, several other countries, including NATO members Britain, France, and Italy have the Predator drone. It has been used extensively in the Af-Pak area. It is a capable armed drone, it can be in the air for 24 hours has a range of 1,900 km, and can carry 1,800 kg of weapons, including air-to-ground missiles and laser-guided bombs.