The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months.
The contract, valued at approximately ₹1,943 crore, is aimed at enhancing the Indian Navy’s maritime surveillance and intelligence-gathering capabilities amid the growing importance of persistent monitoring across the Indian Ocean Region.
The MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems are equipped with advanced sensors, sophisticated payloads and other mission systems designed to provide long-duration surveillance over extensive maritime areas.
The leased platforms will significantly strengthen the Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities by enabling persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage across large areas of the maritime domain.
The ability to maintain prolonged aerial surveillance will support the Navy in monitoring maritime activity, tracking developments and improving situational awareness across areas of strategic interest.
The systems are expected to provide enhanced capability to detect and monitor developments at sea, supporting timely assessment and response to emerging maritime security situations.
The acquisition also reflects the Indian Navy’s continuing efforts to expand the use of unmanned and technology-enabled platforms as part of its broader modernisation and capability development initiatives.
The 30-month leasing arrangement will provide the Navy with additional operational surveillance capability while strengthening its ability to maintain persistent maritime awareness across the Indian Ocean Region.
The deal marks another step in India’s efforts to enhance maritime security and build a technology-driven surveillance architecture capable of monitoring the vast and increasingly contested maritime environment.
