India seeks to purchase maritime patrol drones from US

India has sought from the US high-tech multi-mission Predator drones for protecting its maritime assets, especially in the Indian Ocean.

India's has conveyed its desire to purchase the drones in a letter of request (LoR) to the US last week, sources said.

This is part of the Indian government's efforts to fast track its goal to secure the country's maritime assets in particular in the Indian Ocean and detect untoward intrusion - like the one during Mumbai terrorist attack - on a real time basis.

The LoR comes less than a fortnight after India was inducted into Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and was recognised as a "Major Defence Partner" by the US after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama.

Sources said the request has been made for state -of-the-art multi mission maritime patrol Predator Guardian UAV's from General Atomics.

The Predator 'Guardian' platform, which provides high altitude wide area long endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability, would help in protection and vigilance of its maritime assets in the Indian Ocean and both its east and west coast.

Flying at an altitude of 50,000 feet, these drones have the capacity to fly non-stop for more than 24 hours and monitor the movement of objects as small as a football on a real time basis, sources said requesting anonymity.

It is understood that India had previously shown interest in purchasing these drones from the US, but the Obama Administration was unable to process these request as India was not a member of MTCR.

Now that India has become a member of MTCR, the US - after it granted India the status of Major Defence Partner - has started looking into the proposal and is believed to be moving ahead to the next phase of letter of acceptance (LoA).

"Early this month President Obama and Prime Minister Modi affirmed their support for US-India cooperation in promoting maritime security," sources said.

The issue of these drones were personally raised by the Prime Minister during his meeting with the President, to which he is understood to have given a favourable response, sources said requesting anonymity.

Referring to the India US joint statement after Modi-Obama meeting at the White House on June 7, the sources said the two leaders reiterated the importance they attach to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight and exploitation of resources as per international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and settlement of territorial disputes by peaceful means.

This latest request is in addition to the Predator Avenger request for the Indian Air Force.