Indian MoD plans to buy 30 armed drones from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to boost its naval and land defenses as tensions persist with neighbors China and Pakistan, The Business Standard reports.
India will approve in April the $3 billion purchase of 30 General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (or Predator B) drones manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics. The deal would add to India’s military capabilities as the drones it has now can only be used for surveillance and reconnaissance. Last year, India leased two unarmed MQ-9 Predators as border tensions with China threatened to spin into a full-blown conflict. In the end, they weren’t deployed after the Air Force expressed apprehension about drones manned by U.S. personnel flying over the border.