The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday signed a contract with US firm General Atomics for leasing two additional long-range surveillance UAVs, the MQ-9B Sea Guardian, for the Navy.The Navy has been operating two such drones on lease since 2020. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a high-altitude, long-endurance UAV capable of flying for up to 40 hours while transmitting real-time imagery and video to its base.MoD said the lease and operational contract is for 30 months and is valued at approximately Rs 1,943 crore. “The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads. It will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s maritime domain awareness capabilities,” the ministry said in a statement. The systems will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage over vast areas at sea, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region.Separately, in October 2024, MoD signed a USD 4 billion contract with the US government for the procurement of 31 MQ-9B drones under the Foreign Military Sales route. India will get the armed version of the drone for both strike and surveillance roles.Under the deal, General Atomics will also set up maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for the drones in India. The armed forces will begin receiving the drones from 2028 over a period of four years. The Navy will get 15 of the 31 drones, while the Army and the Indian Air Force will receive eight each.The MQ-9B can be operated over both sea and land. The US armed forces use the same platform, which is capable of carrying precision-strike missiles. These UAVs can be armed to hit targets at sea, on land and in the air, and provide 24×7 surveillance with real-time imagery. The armed drones are expected to significantly enhance India’s strike capability. At present, India does not have long-endurance armed drones that can fire missiles at targets and return to base. New Delhi will receive the same variant of the MQ-9B that is used by the US forces and its allies, including the UK.