Ambassador Gor discusses US-India cooperation in aerospace and defence with drone manufacturer

New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor met Vivek Lall of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) on Monday and discussed expanding US-India cooperation in aerospace, defence, and energy.

“A busy day at the embassy! Enjoyed meeting with Dr Vivek Lall of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Global to discuss expanding US-India cooperation in aerospace, defence, and energy, including their work in advanced technologies and nuclear energy,” the Ambassador wrote on X.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Defence announced that it has signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy for 30 months.

The contract, valued at approximately Rs 1,943 crore, was signed at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, A. Anbarasu.

“The MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS, equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, will significantly enhance the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities,” the ministry said.

The induction of the MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems is expected to strengthen the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities significantly.

Equipped with advanced systems, sophisticated sensors and state-of-the-art payloads, the remotely piloted aircraft will provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) coverage across large stretches of the maritime domain.

The systems will enable the Navy to maintain sustained surveillance over vast areas and improve its ability to track and assess developments at sea. Their deployment is expected to enhance India’s capacity to monitor maritime activity and respond more effectively to emerging developments across the Indian Ocean Region.

“The systems will provide persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance coverage over vast areas of the maritime domain, strengthening India’s ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region,” it added.

–IANS

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