Pentagon Sells 31 Sea-Guardian Ocean Spy Drones to India

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

That strategic partnership between the US and India keeps growing at a time when New Delhi’s relations with China have gotten worse.

Word of several developments emerged as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in the Indian capital to meet with his counterpart, Ajit Doval.

The Biden administration has now formally advised Congress that it plans to sell India 31 MQ-9B drones, a deal valued at around $3.9 billion that was previously announced. That clears the way for a final agreement later this year.

The MQ-9B hunter-killer drone built for high-altitude, long-endurance missions. It can be armed with a variety of munitions, ranging from the GBU-38 Joint Direction Attack Munition (JDAM) to the AIM-9 Sidewinder.

Meanwhile, the Times of India reports that the two countries are in advanced talks for joint manufacture of the new generation of Stryker infantry combat vehicles. Sources told the newspaper it would be a three-part deal: first, India would buy a limited number of off-the shelf Strykers; next, there would be joint production of the vehicle in India; finally, there would be co-development of future versions.

Ret. Army Gen. John Murray, Former Commanding General, Army Futures Command