In the pipeline for more than a couple of years, India is now close to acquiring 30 Predator drones from the United States.The drones will come armed with advanced systems and weapons packages and enable long-range surveillance and precision strikes. India’s drone shopping list includes the SeaGuardian/SkyGuardian variants of the MQ-9B. Reports said the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force will each get 10 drones each with customised specifications. The Indian Navy is already using two unarmed SeaGuardian drones that it leased last year from the US for surveillance in the Indian Ocean Region. The Indian Navy is the lead service for the acquisition of these drones.
