India and the United States are set to sign a ₹32,000 crore agreement on Tuesday for the acquisition of 31 Predator drones and the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
According to defense officials, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the procurement last week. Out of the 31 drones, 15 will be allocated to the Indian Navy, with the remaining drones equally divided between the Air Force and the Army.
The Foreign Military Sales contract, part of a long-negotiated deal, will be finalized during the signing ceremony in New Delhi. An American delegation comprising military and corporate representatives has arrived in India for the event, which will also be attended by top Indian defense officials, including the Joint Secretary and Acquisition Manager for naval systems.
India had been negotiating the deal with the US for several years, but the final hurdles were cleared recently during a Defence Acquisition Council meeting. The urgency to sign the agreement comes as the validity of the US proposal is set to expire on October 31.
The Predator drones will be stationed at four key locations: INS Rajali near Chennai, Porbandar in Gujarat, and two airbases in Uttar Pradesh—Sarsawa and Gorakhpur.
This procurement represents a tri-service agreement, with the number of drones determined after a comprehensive study by the Indian military. The drones will significantly enhance the operational capability of the Indian armed forces across land, sea, and air.
(Inputs from ANI)