India Signs ₹1,943 Crore Deal With General Atomics for MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drones

India's Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹1,943 crore contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones for the Indian Navy. The agreement was signed on August 17, 2026, at Kartavya Bhawan-2, New Delhi, in the presence of Additional Secretary & Director General (Acquisition), Shri A. Anbarasu.

About MQ-9B Sea Guardian HALE RPAS

1. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System, essentially an advanced drone built for extended surveillance missions.
2. It comes equipped with sophisticated sensors and payloads, allowing it to stay airborne for long durations while monitoring large areas.
3. For the Indian Navy, this translates into stronger maritime domain awareness, giving it persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) coverage over vast stretches of ocean.

Ministry of Defence and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Agreement Details

Under this deal, the two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones will be leased to the Indian Navy for a period of 30 months. This lease-based approach allows India to quickly integrate advanced surveillance capability into its naval operations without going through a longer procurement process, while still gaining access to cutting-edge drone technology.

Agreement Impact on India's Defence Sector

This agreement strengthens India's ability to monitor and respond to developments across the Indian Ocean Region, an area of growing strategic importance given increasing maritime traffic and security concerns. With persistent ISR coverage from the Sea Guardian drones, the Indian Navy will be better positioned to track activities across vast maritime zones, supporting quicker decision-making and enhanced situational awareness in the region.