Indian agreement on MQ-9 Reaper “Big Ticket” drone “stuck” with the United States; Can PM Modi speed up acquisition?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to the United States, met with General Atomics chief executive Vivek Lall on Thursday (September 23). The company manufactures the MQ-9 Reaper drones, which the Indian Armed Forces are in the process of obtaining.
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“Drones are an emerging sector in India and it is of particular interest to young people. Interacted with Mr. Vivek Lall of General Atomics Global Corporation and explained how India is ushering in a paradigm shift in drone policy seen in our Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program and reform measures, ”Modi tweeted after the meeting.
Lall said American companies see India as a very promising investment destination. “There are a lot of potential areas of collaboration that we are discussing. I think American companies and a lot of my colleagues in American companies see India as a very promising destination, ”he said, as quoted by Indian media.
According to the PTI news agency, Lall said that a “dedicated drone hub can be established in India to support the entire drone ecosystem.”
He also said that the policies and reforms implemented by the countries could benefit each other and also called it a “sustainable model”.
Drones are an emerging sector in India and they are of particular interest to young people. Interacted with Mr. Vivek Lall from @GeneralAtomics Global Corporation and explained how India is ushering in a paradigm shift in drone policy seen in our PLI program and reform measures. pic.twitter.com/8cEE2YcJ2s
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 23, 2021
The Indian Navy already operates two General Atomics MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones leased in the United States to develop maritime awareness. Impressed by its operational performance, the armed forces signed a contract for the purchase of 30 MQ-9B drones, 10 for each service.
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A $ 3 billion defense contract
A three-service contract worth $ 3 billion for 30 MQ-9Bs is underway. Once inducted, these combat drones are expected to enhance the offensive and surveillance capabilities of the Indian armed forces.
The drones currently used by the Indian army are designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and not for direct combat. The purchase of MQ-9B would mark the first integration of the three services. General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Defense Staff (CDS), is responsible for ensuring effective integration of the three services.
After clearance from the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), India’s supreme body on national security issues, will have to give the final green light to procurement.
The proposed induction of the MQ-9Bs would give India the distinction of being the only non-NATO country to receive these combat drones from the United States. India’s interest in purchasing MQ-9Bs first surfaced in 2019, under the Trump administration, which approved the sale.
Also called Reaper or Predator-B, these drones have been used by the US military and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in conflict zones.
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There is a common confusion between Predator and Reaper drones and therefore they are used interchangeably. The original Predator referred to as MQ-1 was the brainchild of General Atomics. It was commonly known as the Predator drone. This remotely-piloted weapon system quickly gained a deadly reputation after taking out several high-value targets through the use of its surface-to-air missiles.
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The Predator MQ-1 has been replaced by the Reaper MQ-9, also known as the Predator B and which looks suspiciously similar to the Predator MQ-1. This led to the confusion. However, these are two separate systems.
The predator MQ-1
The 11th and 15th Reconnaissance Squadrons of the US Air Force (USAF) operated Predator drones. A total of 268 Predator drones were delivered to the USAF which was completed in March 2011. The Italian Air Force purchased half a dozen Predator drones which were deployed to Iraq in January 2005. GA- ASI delivered the last two Predators to the Italian Air Force in 2015.
Predator drones had been deployed to support NATO, United Nations and US troops in Bosnian war zones since 1995. These unmanned aerial combat vehicles (UCAVs) were also deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom. in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The Hellfire-C laser-guided missile was successfully fired from the Predator in February 2001 at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.
After a successful evaluation, the Predator drone was deployed in combat operations where it was used to fire Hellfire missiles in war-torn Yemen in November 2002. A civilian vehicle suspected of carrying terrorists was cleared at using this weapon system.
In August of the same year, a Northrop Grumman Bat submunition was successfully dropped and a FINDER mini-UAV warfare launched from a Predator drone.
A total of 36 additional MQ-1B Predators equipped with Hellfire missile installation kits were purchased by the USAF in September 2007 and as mentioned above; the last MQ-1 Predator was inducted in March 2011. However, in March 2018, the entire USAF predator fleet was officially decommissioned. The service then began using the MQ-9 Reaper drone as its primary combat drone.
MQ-9 mower
The MQ-9 Reaper evolved from the Predator MQ-1 after the USAF awarded a new contract for the UCAV System Design and Development (SDD) in March 2005. The 42nd Attack Squadron has was the first USAF MQ-9 Reaper squadron based at Nevada Creech Air Force Base.
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The Reapers were first deployed in active combat in Afghanistan in 2007 where they carried out precision airstrikes, then in Iraq in 2008. In January of this year, Reaper drones were deployed to Romania by the USAF to carry out ISR missions in support of NATO.
The Reapers has an endurance of 27 hours and a maximum takeoff weight of 4.7 tons, more than four times the capacity offered by the Predator. The Reaper has an external weapon payload capacity of over a ton, allowing it to carry up to four Hellfire missiles as well as two 227 kilogram bombs on the same mission.
That’s way more than two Hellfire missile capabilities from the original Predator. The Reaper and its predecessor are both controlled by satellite data links by ground personnel.
The maritime variant of the Reaper, which was leased to the Indian Navy as part of an emergency purchase is referred to as the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. This version of the Reaper is optimized for performing maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
General Atomics has also indicated its potential use in detecting underwater mines. The SeaGuardian variant has higher MTOW and operational endurance than its sister variant. The maritime combat drone can remain operational for about 40 hours and take off with a weight of 5.6 tons.
Delays
There is a significant delay in the acquisition of the deadly drones that India wishes to induct. There are two main reasons: the cost of the transaction and the length of the process.
Since the cost of this deal through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program is quite high, India wants more clarity on the deal.
New Delhi has reportedly demanded further details on the exact pricing, the technology transfer that the deal will involve as well as the repair and maintenance facilities that will be established in India for the drones.
The second reason is related to the length of the process. After receiving useful information on the details of the agreement, the acquisition pact will be proposed for “acceptance of necessity” by the Defense Acquisitions Board headed by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
Once done, the country will send a workable letter of demand to the US administration, which will then need to respond with a letter of offer and acceptance and notify the US Congress. Post this, the final contract will be inked.
As most of the discussions have already taken place, this process should have moved relatively quickly, which is clearly not the case. According to The Times of India, after an initial down payment of 15%, the process is then to pay the balance in installments over 5 or 6 years.
Why are they important for India?
Indian armed forces currently lack native combat drones. The country has at least a decade of technological asymmetry with Pakistan when it comes to combat drone technology and is clearly behind China.
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India’s indigenous UCAV projects like the Ghatak under the aegis of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) are still years away.
The purchase of the combat-proven MQ-9 Predator from the United States is likely to fill this gap in its inventory, especially at a time when Pakistan is seeking to procure combat drones from Turkey. Turkish combat drones played a decisive role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020, which shifted global military attention to drone warfare.
The induction of the MQ-9 Reaper would strengthen the offensive capabilities of the Indian armed forces. More importantly, the Indian military would be able to conduct precision strikes on terrorists’ hideouts and launch pads across the de facto border into Kashmir.
These drones could also be used on the Ladakh border where Indian and Chinese troops have been stuck in a stalemate for over a year. In addition, the Indian Navy could deploy them as a reconnaissance tool and potential offensive against any mishap in the Indian Ocean region (IOR) by the Chinese PLA Navy (PLAN).
“The involvement at the highest level in what appears to be the acquisition of UAV-related technologies suggests an awareness of our growing vulnerability gap. It is hoped that the significant software and skill capabilities of Indian industries can be harnessed to build future weapons platforms and systems.Rear Admiral Vineet Bakhshi (retired) told the EurAsian Times.
