The State Department has approved a potential deal with India worth nearly $4 billion for the sale of 31 MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on Thursday of the new Foreign Military Sale (FMS).
The deal for the General Atomics MQ-9B high altitude long endurance drones was previously discussed following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit to the White House last June (Defense Daily, Oct. 17 2023).
The newly approved FMS case also includes 6 Embedded Global Positioning & Inertial Navigation Systems, 31 L3Harris Technologies [LHX]-built Rio Grande Communications Intelligence Sensor Suites, Lockheed Martin [LMT] Hellfire missiles and Boeing [BA] GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs.
India will also receive ground control stations, Hellfire missile launchers, radars and secure communications, precision navigation and cryptographic equipment.
“The proposed sale will improve India’s capability to meet current and future threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation,” DSCA said in a statement.