CCS gives nod for indigenous nuclear submarines, 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft for Armed Forces

The submarines are apt to beryllium built astatine the Ship Building Centre successful Visakhapatnam and volition impact backstage assemblage firms.

The CCS besides cleared the acquisition of 31 Predator drones from the US-based General Atomics nether a Foreign Military Sales declaration betwixt the 2 governments.

The acquisition of the MQ-9B — 16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Armed Forces from the United States done the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) way was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) successful June and the was among the cardinal announcements made successful the defence assemblage during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State sojourn to the US successful June.

The MQ-9Bs, to beryllium assembled successful India, volition heighten the ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) capabilities of India’s equipped forces. They tin besides transportation retired precision strikes connected strategical targets successful mountains and the maritime domain during long-endurance missions.

Earlier, the Navy had leased the 2 RPAs from the US-based GA successful 2020 successful the aftermath of the Galwan Valley clashes betwixt Indian and Chinese troops successful eastbound Ladakh. Last month, 1 of them had to transportation retired a controlled ditching astatine oversea disconnected Chennai connected Wednesday aft it encountered a method nonaccomplishment portion connected a regular surveillance mission, pursuing which the Navy had elaborate study has been sought from the Original Equipment Manufacturer.

Last month, US President Joe Biden, during PM Narendra Modi’s three-day authoritative sojourn to the United States, welcomed the advancement towards India concluding procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B remotely piloted craft and their associated equipment, to heighten the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities of India’s equipped forces crossed each domains.

This was besides discussed during defence curate Rajnath Singh’s bilateral gathering with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin successful the Pentagon successful August.