Free Republic

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...

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...