India on Tuesday inked a mega deal with the US to procure 31 Predator long-endurance drones from American defence major General Atomics under the foreign military sales route at a cost of nearly USD 4 billion to boost Indian military’s combat prowess along the contested borders with China.
The deal, signed in presence of top defence and strategic brass of India in the national capital, marks a significant upswing in military ties between the two countries, officials told PTI.
The procurement of the drones was finalised just weeks ahead of the US presidential elections.
Last week, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the procurement of the MQ-9B ‘hunter killer’ drones.
Vivek Lall, the Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation who played a key role in the negotiations on the deal, was present at the signing ceremony.
The drones are being procured at an estimated cost of around USD 4 billion, officials said.