The induction of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System's (RPAS) into the Indian armed forces will bring in a quantum leap in their Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The triservice acquisition will provide a muchneeded boost to the persistent surveillance capability of the Indian armed forces with the ability to strike time-sensitive targets. The highly sophisticated RPAS' are being acquired from the USA under the Foreign Military Sale (FMS) route. The MQ-9B is GAASI's most advanced RPA that is currently available for export.
The procurement of 31 HALE RPAS, which comprises of 16 MQ-9B Sky Guardians for the army and air force, and 15 MQ-9B Sea Guardians for the navy is also notable for its size, with a significant quantity of drones being acquired as part of the initial order worth approximately 32,000 crore. By the standards of Indian defence procurement, the MQ-9B has proceeded swiftly, alluding to the importance of the purchase for the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The Council Defence Acquisition (DAC), which is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded the Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for the procurement in June 2023. The AoN noted the estimated cost of the deal at 3.07 billion US dollars provided by the US Government. There is already sufficient experience in operating the MQ-9B, which has been operated under lease from GA-ASI by the Indian Navy for quite some time now. The navy has been operating two GA-ASI MQ-9s under lease for over nearly four years, which have improved India's capability to cater for current and future threats by undertaking unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation.
Smart Strike
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POSITIVE STEPS TOWARDS POTENTIAL REGIONAL COOPERATION
It has been a whirlwind of diplomatic activity for India recently. India participated in both the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO) summit that took place in Islamabad on October 15-16, and the 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia, from October 2224, 2024. These back-to-back summits within a short span of time underscore India's active role in shaping regional and global diplomacy, balancing national interests with multilateral cooperation
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LESSONS FROM GAZA AND LEBANON
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PRIME MOVER
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TRANSFORMATIONAL INDUCTION
The GA-ASI MQ-9B will dramatically enhance the ISR and precision strike capabilities of the Indian armed forces
TACAN PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
Navigation systems have evolved significantly since the Viking era, with Tactical Air Navigation TACAN) now widely used for air and sea travel. Post-World War Il, reliable systems became essential for safety and efficiency, as highlighted by DR. SUJAN KUMAR SARASWATI, in this article on TACAN’s operational principles.
AIRBORNE TRACKER
Indigenous efforts towards AEW&C and AWACS platforms need to be stepped up even as international programmes extend the current state-of-the-art for such aircraft, highlights
AFFORDABLE LETHALITY THE INDIAN DILEMMA
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"THE INDIAN AIR FORCE IS WORKING HARD TO REMAIN A CREDIBLE AIR FORCE"
Commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force on December 21, 1984, Air Chief Marshal AMAR PREET SINGH PVSM AVSM took over as the 28th Air Chief of India on September 30, 2024.
