India to buy MQ-9 Reaper, the drone that killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri

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New Delhi: India is likely to purchase MQ-9 Reaper drones in a billion-dollar deal with the US. These drones, which use laser-guided Hellfire missiles for precision strikes, fall in the category of hunter-killer Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

The US had reportedly used the MQ-9 Reaper drone for an air strike on a compound in Kabul, Afghanistan that had allegedly killed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

According to media reports, India is preparing to acquire the MQ-9 Reaper drone for all the three military services of the Indian Armed forces. However, the Indian government is yet to come out with an official statement on this issue.

In 2017, the Indian Navy had taken these drones on lease for two years. They were being operated for surveillance of activities by the PLA Navy (PLAN) of China in the Indian Ocean. During the peak of the military stand-off with China in eastern Ladakh in 2020, India had leased two MQ-9A drones from US-based company General Atomics under a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) lease agreement.

According to a report by New Indian Express, the purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper is one of the proposals listed for discussion in the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meet scheduled on Thursday. This drone is used for surveillance, intelligence gathering and precision strikes. It can also be controlled from ground stations and naval vessels.

The Indian government is reportedly planning to acquire a total of 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones – 10 each for the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy.

The MQ-9 Reaper, manufactured by General Atomics, will be bought through the Foreign Military Sales route used by the US for government-to-government deals.

Media reports claimed that though the drone has been acknowledged as a tri-service requirement in India and the deal has been under discussion for some time, it was not brought to the DAC earlier as there was no scope for local production because the US manufacturer refused to share its knowhow for a Make-in-India component.

Another factor was its high cost. The government had reportedly looked at other options but nothing came anywhere close to the MQ-9. As a result, General Atomics will continue to provide spares and service the UAVs.

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