Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday had bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Delaware on major issues of the India-US strategic partnership.
The two leaders focused on India’s acquisition of MQ-9B Predator drones.
Welcoming the procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B drones that will enhance ISR capabilities, he said that this was just a modest beginning after having had a very satisfying bilateral meeting with PM Modi in his hometown of Gujarat on the strides in US-India defense industrial cooperation.
A joint fact sheet by the two leaders highlighted notable progress realized under the US-India defense industrial cooperation roadmap, including collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems.
In February this year, the United States approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B drones to the Indian military with an estimated cost of USD 3.99 billion.
According to reports, under this deal, the Indian Navy will receive 15 Sea Guardian drones, while the Indian Air Force and Army will share eight Sky Guardian drones each.
President Biden welcomed the progress toward India concluding the procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment, enhancing the ISR capabilities of India’s armed forces across all domains, ” the joint fact sheet read.
