New Delhi, Dec 30 : India has approved the lease of two additional General Atomics MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicles for the Indian Navy, further strengthening the country’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities across the Indian Ocean region and along its strategic frontiers.
The decision was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and is being viewed as a significant step in enhancing India’s maritime domain awareness and border security operations.
Defence experts consider the MQ-9 among the world’s most capable high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft systems, widely used for persistent surveillance and real-time intelligence gathering.
The latest approval comes five years after India first leased two MQ-9 platforms from General Atomics in 2020. Those drones have since provided a critical operational advantage, supporting sustained maritime monitoring and intelligence-led security missions. The addition of two more aircraft is expected to further bolster naval surveillance in strategically sensitive waters.
The move also reflects the renewed emphasis placed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on expanding defence cooperation as a core pillar of the India–US strategic partnership. Defence ties between the two countries have deepened steadily, with growing interoperability and increased collaboration in advanced technologies.
US-based aerospace scientist Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, has played a key role over the past two decades in advancing defence trade and industrial cooperation between India and the United States. His engagement with governments and defence industries has helped facilitate access to critical US defence technologies while strengthening bilateral trust.
Previously, as a senior executive at Lockheed Martin, Lall led negotiations that resulted in the landmark agreement for 24 MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters for the Indian Navy. That deal was finalised during President Trump’s visit to India in his first term.
Lall has also been associated with several major defence procurements that have significantly enhanced India’s military capabilities. These include the planned acquisition of 31 MQ-9B aircraft for the Indian armed forces, Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, AH-64E Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters for the Indian Air Force, C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
According to officials, these collaborations have benefited more than 100 public and private companies across India’s defence supply chain, integrating domestic firms into global manufacturing networks and strengthening indigenous industrial capability.
The expanded induction of MQ-9 drones underscores India’s growing reliance on advanced unmanned systems to safeguard its land and maritime interests amid evolving regional security challenges.