India to Place First Order for US Armed Drones to Boost Defense
- New Delhi has cleared purchase ahead of Modi’s US visit
- The deal was mired in bureaucratic red-tape for years
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India has cleared the purchase of thirty armed drones from the US — its first ever — to boost its sea and land defenses as tensions with neighboring China and Pakistan persist, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
The decision to clear the acquisition of the MQ-9B Predator drones was made by India’s Defence Acquisition Council Thursday. It comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US next week, where the two sides are also expected to agree to jointly manufacture jet engines in the South Asian nation. Modi’s government is in the midst of a 10-year, $250 billion military modernization effort.