India set to begin process to acquire US drones this week

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India will this week issue a letter of request (LoR) to the US government to initiate the purchase of 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) under the foreign military sales (FMS) programme, Washington DC’s government-to-government method of selling US-built military platforms and providing services and training to other countries, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

The FMS programme is a multi-tiered process and managed by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) for the US Department of Defense (DoD). The Indian LoR will clearly mention the requirements of the three services, details of equipment sought and the proposed terms of procurement, the officials said, asking not to be named.

Price and availability data was earlier sought from the US to pursue the deal, which is estimated to be worth $3.07 billion.

India’s defence acquisitions council (DAC), the country’s apex weapons procurement body, on June 15 accorded its acceptance of necessity (AoN) to buy the 31 MQ-9B General Atomics high-altitude long endurance (HALE) drones. Under India’s defence procurement rules, the AoN by the council is the first step towards buying military hardware.

The US will respond to the LoR with a letter of offer and acceptance (LoA) after a formal congressional notification, setting the stage for India to begin negotiations with the US, duly factoring in the price and terms offered by Washington DC to other countries. The contract negotiation committee will finalise the deal before it is put up before the cabinet committee on security led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for final approval.

The proposed deal found mention in a joint statement issued by the US and India on June 22 during Modi’s first state visit to the US. It said General Atomics will establish a comprehensive global MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility in India to support the country’s long-term goals to boost indigenous defence capabilities.

The Congress party attempted to corner the government by raising questions related to pricing, the acquisition procedure, technology transfer, the numbers sought to be bought and how self-reliance in defence was being pursued.

Top government officials, however, mounted a spirited defence of the highly anticipated deal, stressing that India will negotiate a competitive deal with the US to boost the military’s strength, it will be transparent, it will involve transfer of critical technologies, help the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) develop such systems indigenously, and the number of drones to be bought is based on the operational requirements of the armed forces.

Fifteen drones will be for the navy, and eight each for the army and the Indian Air Force. Ten drones are likely to bought off the shelf, while the remaining 21 will be assembled in India, the officials said.

The US has offered the 31 drones to India for $3.07 billion. This, however, is subject to negotiations. The estimated cost includes weapons, sensors, ground control stations, ground data terminals, ground handling equipment, spares and logistics support.

India will also negotiate a higher element of technology transfer, as previously reported by HT. It is looking at doubling the element of technology transfer that is currently on offer — from 8-9% to 15%-20%. To be assembled in India, the versatile platform will have the capability to strike targets with its on-board weapons, it will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and its other roles include electronic warfare, defensive counter air and airborne early warning.

The number of drones to be bought has been arrived at based on a scientific study factoring in the requirements of the three services and taking into consideration the vast expanse of India’s land and maritime borders, HT has learnt.(HT)