USA godkjente å selge 31 31 MQ-9B væpnede droner til India for 4 milliarder dollar for å øke sin maritime sikkerhet. Denne avtalen vil gi India 16 ganger flere væpnede droner enn dens nåværende flåte og forbedre overvåkingsevnen. USA ser på India som en nøkkelpartner og verdsetter deres samarbeid om ulike prioriteringer.
Terming its partnership with India as among the most consequential ones, the US has said the proposed sale of 31 armed drones to New Delhi at an estimated cost of nearly USD 4 billion will ensure enhanced maritime security for the country. The US on Thursday approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B armed drones to India at an estimated cost of USD 3.99 billion, an acquisition that will bolster India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation.
“I would say that our partnership with India is one of our most consequential relationships. We work closely with India on our most vital priorities,” State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters at his daily news conference.
In response to a question on the next steps in the mega drone deal and its importance, Miller said: “I cannot give you a timeline. This was the initial step today, notifying Congress. The exact timeline of the delivery is something that we will explore with the Government of India over the coming months.”
Under the deal, India will get 31 High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs, of which the Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian drones, while the Army and the Indian Air Force will get eight each of the land version – SkyGuardian.
“I will say with respect to the deal itself, the USD 3.99 – almost 4 – billion sale of 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian aircraft will provide India with an enhanced maritime security and maritime domain awareness capability,” he said.
Det tilbyr India direkte eierskap og en 16-dobling i antall fly, sammenlignet med deres nåværende leieavtale av to MQ-9A-fly, la han til.
On a question on outgoing Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s tenure, Miller said: “We have had a close working relationship with the (outgoing Indian) ambassador (Taranjit Singh Sandhu).”
Han sa at USA har vært i stand til å samarbeide med ham om en rekke delte prioriteringer, inkludert den avgjørende rollen India spiller for å sikre et fritt åpent Indo-Stillehavet som er tilkoblet, velstående, sikkert og motstandsdyktig, sa Miller.
Sandhu, 61, trekker seg fra utenrikstjenesten etter 35 år med diplomatisk karriere denne måneden.
“We wish him well in his future endeavours and look forward to welcoming his replacement,” he said.
Som svar på et annet spørsmål sa Miller at utenriksminister Antony Blinken har et nært samarbeid med sin indiske kollega S Jaishankar, hvor de er i stand til å engasjere seg i noen av de mest presserende og viktige prioriteringene.
“Obviously, the secretary has travelled to India to meet with the foreign minister on a number of occasions. He’s welcomed him here. He’s met with him in New York on the margins of the UN General Assembly,” Miller said.