UNMANNED • SANCTIONED

MQ-9B SkyGuardian & SeaGuardian (Tri-Service HALE Drones)

Lead Agency: Ministry of Defence / General Atomics • Service: Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army • Budget: ₹32,000 Cr • IDDM: 20%

Strategic Overview

High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones with 40+ hour endurance, anti-submarine warfare suite, and Hellfire precision strike missiles.

Order of Battle & Operational Deployments

Long-Range Maritime Reconnaissance Squadron (Navy) ("SeaGuardian Fleet (INS Rajali)") — INS Rajali (Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu) (Eastern Naval Command / Naval Aviation) — Status: slated
PIB: India Signs Formal Agreement with US for 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Drones (PIB Press Release)
High-Altitude Border Surveillance Flights (Army & IAF) ("SkyGuardian Detachments") — Gorakhpur / Sarsawa / Forward Himalayan Bases (Northern & Eastern Air Commands) — Status: slated
Standing Committee on Defence: Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Acquisition (Parliamentary Committee Report)