India will buy the MQ-9B armed drones from the US, which will help the Indian military scale up with the fast-changing nature of warfare. Drones and other autonomous systems are increasingly being used in conflict zones around the world.
The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a maritime-focused drone developed by General Atomics. It can fly for over 30 hours in weather conditions of every type and can be used in a variety of operations. Negotiators are counting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi s White House visit on 22 June to result in a breakthrough for the deal which could cost up to $3 billion
New STOL kit increases MQ-9B versatility: land at newly available bases with very short runways or maximize mission endurance in a non-STOL configuration.
The MQ-9B SeaGuardian has changed the game in maritime domain awareness. It’s the first unmanned aerial system of its kind that can search the ocean surface and the depths in support of naval intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Pete Yelle, a former longtime U.S. naval aviator, now serves as strategic development manager at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Yelle talked about what makes the SeaGuardian so different from other aircraft available today and everything that has come before. Navies always have needed to know what’s on the sea, or under it. Why is there so much growing interest in this UAS now? Yelle: SeaGuardian does so many things at once, so well, in a way nothing has before. It can see, optically, with its electro-optical infrared sensor, as well as through haze or smoke with its synthetic aperture radar. It also can scan a wide area with the long-range maritime surface search radar. It has onboard systems that collect signals intelligence and comm