New Delhi, Aug 17 (IANS) The Ministry of Defence on Monday 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 significantly strengthen the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness capabilities.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.Meanwhile, last week, the ministry signed another contract worth approximately Rs 1,577 crore with Tata Advanced Systems Limited and NIBE Private Limited for the procurement of Loiter Munition Systems, along with associated munitions and accessories, for the Indian Army.“The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts with TATA Advanced Systems Limited and NIBE Private Limited for the procurement of Loiter Munition Systems, along with munitions & other accessories, at an approximate cost of Rs 1,577 crore for the Indian Army,” it said.

/IANS