India signs Rs 1,943 crore deal to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for Navy

18 August 2026National

The Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 1,943 crore contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) drones for the Indian Navy, for a 30-month period. The pact was signed on 17 August 2026 at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi. The Sea Guardian can stay airborne for 30-40 hours at altitudes above 40,000 feet, boosting India's persistent surveillance over critical sea lanes and choke points in the Indian Ocean Region.

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MQ-9B family also includes the SkyGuardian variant | India separately approved a Rs ~32,000 crore deal for 31 MQ-9B Predator drones (2024) for the Army, Navy and IAF | HALE = High Altitude Long Endurance UAV class

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