Drone leased from the US by Indian Navy crashes in Chennai
Chennai: The US made MQ-9B Sea Guardian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into the Bay of Bengal near Chennai city in Tamil Nadu state.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the Indian Navy had leased two such drones for surveillance missions from the US in 2020.
The Indian Navy in a statement said, a High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) operating from the naval air station INS Rajali Arakonnam near Chennai encountered a technical failure during a routine surveillance mission, which could not be reset in flight. The drone is yet to be recovered.
The drones were inducted under Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 to carry out ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions at a time when tensions were running high between India and China in Eastern Ladakh.
India is in the process of acquiring 31 additional drones from the US, with a deal expected to be signed in October after final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security. The new drones will be distributed among the armed forces, with the Navy receiving the majority share.
