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New Delhi -- India is set to finalise a long-conceived proposal to procure 30 multi-mission armed Predator drones from the US for the three services at an estimated cost of over USD 3 billion (around Rs 22,000 crore), official sources said on Tuesday. The proposal to acquire the MQ-9B long-endurance drones, armed with air-to-ground missiles, is likely to be cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in the next few weeks following which it will be placed before the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security, they said. The sources said various key aspects of the procurement including the cost component and...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — High above Yemen’s rebel-held city of Hodeida, a drone controlled by Emirati forces hovered as an SUV carrying a top Shiite Houthi rebel official turned onto a small street and stopped, waiting for another vehicle in its convoy to catch up. Seconds later, the SUV exploded in flames, killing Saleh al-Samad, a top political figure. The drone that fired that missile in April was not one of the many American aircraft that have been buzzing across the skies of Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001. It was Chinese.. Across the Middle East,...

GA-ASI reports building nine Predator Cs powered by Pratt & Whitney PW545B turbofan engines. (Photo: General Atomics) U.S. manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) revealed recently that a foreign nation is interested in buying 90 Predator C Avenger unmanned aircraft, offering an indication of the potential future roles it sees not only for the jet-powered Avenger but also for the turboprop-powered MQ-9 Predator B. During a roundtable meeting with reporters August 16 at GA-ASI’s headquarters in Poway, California, company president David Alexander said an international buyer he declined to identify has expressed interest in “a quantity of 90” Avengers. That...

Thought some of you guys might know.

Germany’s plan to lease Israeli drones has been put on hold after a legal challenge by US weapons manufacturer. In January, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan to lease Israel Aerospace Industries’ Eitan (“Steadfast”) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The drones, also known as Heron TPs, have a range of over 7,400 kilometers (4,600 miles), and can remain airborne for more than 70 hours. This lease was intended to serve a temporary need until 2025, when Germany, Italy and France expect to complete development of a joint drone. However, on Monday, US firm General Atomics, maker of the...

One of the more intriguing technologies spotted at this week’s Navy League Sea-Air-Space Expo was General Atomics’ electromagnetic rail cannon. The company has been working for a number of years with the Office of Naval Research on a 200-nautical mile gun system. In a parallel effort, they’ve been developing a smaller, pulse-power technology demonstrator, called the Blitzer, for ship defense against anti-ship cruise missiles and small boat swarms. Two million amps launch a guided projectile at twice the speed of a conventional gun, but at much lower cost than the usual surface-to-air missile systems on most naval ships. General Atomics...

ADELANTO - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will begin work on its latest unmanned aircraft system under the first $6 million installment of a development contract for the Army. The Warrior is based on the company's Predator unmanned vehicle, a system already proven successful in combat over Afghanistan and Iraq. The entire program, including eventual follow-on production, is worth just under $1 billion, said Kimberly Kasitz , General Atomics spokeswoman. "It's a major contract for us," she said. The new system is expected to replace the Army's existing unmanned reconnaissance system, the Northrop Grumman Co.-built Hunter, which entered service in 1996....