Indian Army Keen to Procure Avenger Unmanned Aerial Vehicles From United States
The Indian Army has shown interest in the United Statesā Avenger Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by General Atomics.
New Delhi, October 24: The Indian Army isĀ keen on procuring to buy the United Statesā Avenger Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by General Atomics. According to a report published in the Financial Express, during the recent 2+2 India-US Strategic Dialogue in New Delhi, procuring the UAVs for the army was discussed when the US Secretary of Defence James Mattis met with the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Indian Army first requested to procure these UAVs was in June 2017 during Mattis visit to the country.
Currently, the Indian armed forces using Israeli drones. As per experts, these new UAVs can be a game changer in the region. According to the report, there is a requirement for at least 1000 units of UAVs in the armed forces, excluding the requirement of paramilitary forces. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has already released the critical Category One UAV technology for the 22 Sea Guardian Unmanned Aerial Systems deal of $2 billion on the request made by the India Navy in 2016. Meanwhile, the US has started the internal processing for 100 armed jets propelled Avenger Drones for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
In September, both the countries signed Communications, Compatibility, Security Agreement (COMCASA) during ā2+2 Dialogueā held in New Delhi which will allow transfer of encrypted communication security equipment from the US to India. The two countries have also inked the logistics exchange memorandum of agreement (LEMOA) in 2016.
However, Pakistan is also purchasing 48 drones from China to carry out surveillance on India. As per media reports, It is the largest defence sale by China to Pakistan. The exact cost of the deal is still not known.Ā Wing Loong II is a high-end reconnaissance, strike and multi-role endurance unmanned aerial system, capable of being fitted with air-to-surface weapons. It is roughly equivalent to the American MQ-9 Reaper drone.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2018 11:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).