The Biden administration is yet to notify the US Congress on its plan to supply 31 MQ-9B Predator long-endurance armed drones to India under a USD 3 billion government-to-government framework, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. It is learnt India and the US are examining various aspects of the proposed deal including the price component, but the pace of the negotiations have slowed down after US federal prosecutors alleged an Indian link in a failed plot to kill Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
"We continue to discuss with the US Congress the potential sale consistent with standard processes and policies guiding such arm sales decisions," US embassy spokesperson Chris Elms told PTI. His response came when asked about a media report that said Washington blocked the drone sale to India until New Delhi carries out a thorough probe into the failed assassination plot.
"As part of the standard process, the State Department routinely engages Congressional foreign affairs committees prior to formal notification to address questions from committee staff," Elms said. Sources in the Indian defence establishment said the talks between the two sides on the multi-billion dollar deal are underway, but did not give any clarity on when the procurement would be sealed.
In November last year, the US federal prosecutors accused Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. India has already constituted a probe committee to investigate allegations.
Pannun, a leader of the so called 'Sikhs for Justice', is wanted by Indian probe agencies on various terror charges. India is looking at sealing the landmark deal to procure 31 MQ-9B Predator long endurance armed drones from the US under a government-to-government framework.
American and Indian government officials have been holding a series of negotiations on the proposed procurement after Washington responded to New Delhi's Letter of Request (LoR) for acquisition of the drones from US defence major General Atomics (GA). India is procuring the long-endurance 'hunter-killer' drones to crank up the surveillance apparatus of the armed forces, especially along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
Though the cost of the drones will be finalised in the negotiation process, it is estimated that the price of the procurement would be around USD 3 billion. The proposed procurement figured in US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin's talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh in Delhi in November.
The Defence Acquisition Council headed by Singh on June 15 last year accorded the Acceptance of Necessity or initial approval for acquisition of 31 MQ-9B drones from the US under the foreign military sale route. The Sea Guardian drones are being procured for the three services as they can carry out a variety of roles including maritime surveillance, anti-submarine warfare and over-the-horizon targeting, among others.
While the Navy will get 15 Sea Guardian drones, the Indian Air Force and the Army will each get eight Sky Guardian drones. The high-altitude long-endurance drones are capable of remaining airborne for over 35 hours and can carry four Hellfire missiles and around 450 kgs of bombs.
In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently.
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