Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 01:33pm on 17 Aug 2026,Monday Defence
India has signed a Rs 1,943-crore contract with US defence company General Atomics to lease 2 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones for the Indian Navy for 30 months. The high-altitude, long-endurance drones can remain airborne for more than 30 hours and operate above 40,000 feet. Equipped with advanced sensors and an anti-submarine warfare kit, they will strengthen India’s maritime surveillance and intelligence capabilities across the Indian Ocean Region. The lease comes after India signed a $3-billion deal to acquire 31 MQ-9B drones for the 3 services. The Navy will receive 15 SeaGuardians, while the Army and Air Force will get 8 each. (PC: NDTV)
