WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: The US state department on Thursday formally notified US Congress of its approval of the sale to India of 31 MQ-9B Drones and associated military equipment worth $3.99 billion, overcoming token resistance from some lawmakers who, according to reports, wanted New Delhi to carry out a “meaningful investigation” into the alleged plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun before signing off on the sale.
A report that some lawmakers, including some Indian-American legislators, had put a hold on the sale turned out to be exaggerated after the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying the Congress of the possible sale on Thursday, just a day after the purported wrinkle.
US officials nevertheless acknowledged that members of the Congress were consulted on the sale “to address questions that they might have” in what they said is a routine process.
Illustrative of the fact that such legislative hurdles seldom derail the White House’s overarching geo-political goals, DSCA said in a statement that the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.”
“The proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation. India has demonstrated a commitment to modernising its military and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” it added.
A report that some lawmakers had put a hex on the sale over the Pannun issue was received sceptically both in New Delhi and Washington, where support for US-India military and defence relationship outweighs other relatively minor issues and differences. India and the US overcame a much bigger issue between the two sides when New Delhi went ahead with the purchase of S-400 Triumf air defence systems from Russia, under a $5.43 billion contract inked in 2018, despite reservations in US congress and in the executive.
Despite the report of the sale being put on hold, Indian officials were sanguine about it going through at all times, while saying that New Delhi respects the processes and procedures in Washington.
Several strategic objectives underpin such transactions, notably the US desire to see India as a counterweight to China and rising tensions in the Gulf, where India is already a significant player and has deployed considerable military resources to ensure safety of the international shipping lanes and systems.
There is also the small matter of commercials involving General Atomics, the principal contractor for the deal based in California, whose large congressional delegation will be loath to forsake the economic benefits for their constituents.
The Indian defence ministry had issued the detailed LoR (letter of request) for the 31 ‘hunter-killer’ remotely-piloted aircraft systems, along with their weapons packages, mobile ground control systems and other equipment, just before the Biden-Modi meeting on September 8, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit here.
After the notification to the US Congress on Thursday, the Biden administration will now issue the LoA (letter of acceptance) to India within a month or so. The final cost negotiations will then take place before the actual contract is inked after the requisite approval from the Indian cabinet committee on security.
The Indian armed forces, on their part, have been demanding such armed high-altitude, long endurance (HALE) drones for a long time. The defence ministry on June 15 last year had given the initial nod or AoN (acceptance of necessity) for the proposed major acquisition of the 31 MQ-9Bs – 15 Sea Guardians for Navy and 16 Sky Guardians for Army and IAF.
The armed forces are keen to induct all the 31 drones, which will be `assembled’ in India by General Atomics over the next six to seven years. As per the proposed deal, GA will also set up a “cost-effective and comprehensive global MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) facility” in India, apart from also sourcing some components from Indian companies.
Far more capable than the armed drones with China, which has also been supplying Cai Hong-4 and Wing Loong-II drones to Pakistan, the MQ-9Bs will add muscle to India’s long-range surveillance and precision strike capabilities both in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as well as the land frontiers with China and Pakistan.
The fighter-sized MQ-9B drones are designed to fly for around 40 hours at altitudes over 40,000-feet for over-the-horizon ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) missions and are armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs for precision strikes.
A report that some lawmakers, including some Indian-American legislators, had put a hold on the sale turned out to be exaggerated after the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying the Congress of the possible sale on Thursday, just a day after the purported wrinkle.
US officials nevertheless acknowledged that members of the Congress were consulted on the sale “to address questions that they might have” in what they said is a routine process.
Illustrative of the fact that such legislative hurdles seldom derail the White House’s overarching geo-political goals, DSCA said in a statement that the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the US by helping to strengthen the US-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defence partner which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region.”
“The proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation. India has demonstrated a commitment to modernising its military and will have no difficulty absorbing these articles and services into its armed forces,” it added.
A report that some lawmakers had put a hex on the sale over the Pannun issue was received sceptically both in New Delhi and Washington, where support for US-India military and defence relationship outweighs other relatively minor issues and differences. India and the US overcame a much bigger issue between the two sides when New Delhi went ahead with the purchase of S-400 Triumf air defence systems from Russia, under a $5.43 billion contract inked in 2018, despite reservations in US congress and in the executive.
Despite the report of the sale being put on hold, Indian officials were sanguine about it going through at all times, while saying that New Delhi respects the processes and procedures in Washington.
Several strategic objectives underpin such transactions, notably the US desire to see India as a counterweight to China and rising tensions in the Gulf, where India is already a significant player and has deployed considerable military resources to ensure safety of the international shipping lanes and systems.
There is also the small matter of commercials involving General Atomics, the principal contractor for the deal based in California, whose large congressional delegation will be loath to forsake the economic benefits for their constituents.
The Indian defence ministry had issued the detailed LoR (letter of request) for the 31 ‘hunter-killer’ remotely-piloted aircraft systems, along with their weapons packages, mobile ground control systems and other equipment, just before the Biden-Modi meeting on September 8, on the sidelines of the G-20 summit here.
After the notification to the US Congress on Thursday, the Biden administration will now issue the LoA (letter of acceptance) to India within a month or so. The final cost negotiations will then take place before the actual contract is inked after the requisite approval from the Indian cabinet committee on security.
The Indian armed forces, on their part, have been demanding such armed high-altitude, long endurance (HALE) drones for a long time. The defence ministry on June 15 last year had given the initial nod or AoN (acceptance of necessity) for the proposed major acquisition of the 31 MQ-9Bs – 15 Sea Guardians for Navy and 16 Sky Guardians for Army and IAF.
The armed forces are keen to induct all the 31 drones, which will be `assembled’ in India by General Atomics over the next six to seven years. As per the proposed deal, GA will also set up a “cost-effective and comprehensive global MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) facility” in India, apart from also sourcing some components from Indian companies.
Far more capable than the armed drones with China, which has also been supplying Cai Hong-4 and Wing Loong-II drones to Pakistan, the MQ-9Bs will add muscle to India’s long-range surveillance and precision strike capabilities both in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as well as the land frontiers with China and Pakistan.
The fighter-sized MQ-9B drones are designed to fly for around 40 hours at altitudes over 40,000-feet for over-the-horizon ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) missions and are armed with Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and smart bombs for precision strikes.