New Delhi, India, June 19 (ANI): Amid the current standoff with China along the northern borders, the Indian Navy said two Predator drones (MQ-9 Sea Guardian) were helping the maritime force to strengthen its surveillance throughout the Indian Ocean region and closely monitor the “vessels of interest” that pass through it.
Both drones were leased by the Indian Navy to the United States during the height of the clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley to help forces closely monitor the movements of Chinese warships and other suspicious vessels.
In an interview with ANI, Vice-Chief of the Navy, Vice-Admiral G Ashok Kumar, said: “The long endurance of the MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones allows us to monitor a large area and has helped to improve our knowledge of the maritime domain. also allows us to keep a close eye on any vessel of interest operating in the region. “
When asked if the “vessels of interest” monitored by predatory drones included Chinese warships or research vessels operating in the region, he replied: “Drones are used to monitor potential adversaries but also vessels of interest that are not following the rules. This can be from any country, China or Japan or from any country. “
The officer said the drones with their long endurance help the force to monitor throughout the Indian Ocean region, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea region.
The Indian Navy was the first of the three services to opt for the lease option under the new defense procurement process to obtain the two drones from a US company and deploy them to a Navy base. south to watch over the whole area. after by force.
Drones can fly for over 35 hours at a time and can also fly over an area of interest or a ship for a long time to see what their activities are.
Research vessels affiliated with the Chinese Navy generally operate in the Indian Ocean region for surveillance activities and their activities are of interest to Indian forces.
India is also dealing with the issue of acquiring 30 more of these drones which will be equipped with Hellfire missiles which will allow the forces to shoot down any potential target during their surveillance missions.
The project is currently under discussion at the level of the Ministry of Defense and will need to be approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security due to its enormous cost.
(Only the title and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
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