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The Ministry of Defence signed a contract worth about Rs 1,943 crore with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. on 17 August 2026.
It covers the lease of two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems for the Indian Navy for 30 months.
The drones will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.
India first leased the same platform for naval use in November 2020; one of those aircraft crashed in the Bay of Bengal in September 2024.
A HALE remotely piloted aircraft system flies high and stays airborne for very long periods, which is what makes it useful over the sea. Maritime domain awareness means knowing what is happening across a vast ocean area - who is sailing where, which vessels have switched off their transponders, where a fishing fleet or a warship is heading. Warships and maritime patrol aircraft can only cover a fraction of that area at a time, so a drone that loiters for many hours at altitude with radar and electro-optical sensors fills the gap between sorties.
Simple Analogy: A patrol boat is a torch swept across a dark field; a HALE drone is a floodlight left on.
India begins leasing MQ-9B drones for naval use for the first time
One of the leased drones crashes in the Bay of Bengal
Ministry of Defence signs a Rs 1,943 crore contract to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardians for 30 months
Current Affairs > Defence acquisitions and platforms
GS Paper 3 > Security > Defence procurement and maritime security
General Awareness > Current Affairs > Defence
General Awareness > Current Events
Remotely Piloted Aircraft System - the aircraft together with its ground control station, data links and support elements.
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance - the collection and analysis of information about an operational area.
Effective understanding of activity in the maritime domain that could affect security, safety, the economy or the environment.