India is looking at two variants. One for the Navy and the other for the Army and the IAF. India has, so far, been studying the MQ9B-Sky Guardian and the Sea Guardian, models of the company. However, some of the drones will the latest variant of the predator family called the MQ-9A block 5, that has been successfully tested for anti submarine warfare (ASW) capability in January this year.
An allocation of almost $ 18 billion, under what is called the ‘Capital head’ of its budget, is the largest increase in 15 years when calculated on an year-on-year basis. It also almost doubles the allocation within past four years. In the budget presented in February 2017 the allocation was Rs 69,473 Crore ( approx $ 9.26 billion).
The US policy change affected in July this year and the subsequent moves, break China’s rapidly growing influence in the ‘armed drone market’. India or Taiwan would be a ‘no go zone’ for Chinese companies, which, however, in the past, had sold drones to UAE. Beijing had even sold some drones to Saudi Arabia, a long standing ally of the US
Recent Comments