New Delhi . The Indian Navy has recently added many new types of weapons to make its technology modern and high-tech. Many types of machines like surveillance drones used during war have also been included in the Navy. Most of these big and high-tech weapons have been purchased from Russia, America, France and some have been manufactured by Indian companies. But recently a sad news has come.
According to the report, the Indian Navy’s high-tech drone leased from the US suffered a technical malfunction. A high-altitude long endurance MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone leased by the Indian Navy from the US suffered a technical malfunction, and the drone was shot down in the Bay of Bengal near Chennai. Because it developed a technical fault during a routine surveillance mission. The Navy leased two RPAs from the US Navy in 2020 after the clashes in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Navy said that the drone was operating from INS Rajali Naval Air Station located in Arakkonam near Chennai. The statement said, the aircraft was taken to a safe area over the sea and landed in a controlled manner in the sea near Chennai. A detailed report has been sought from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a high-altitude, long-endurance drone, typically used for maritime surveillance and reconnaissance missions. In 2020, the Navy leased two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones, a variant of the Predator B manufactured by US company General Atomics, to enhance its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Initially, the lease period was for one year but was later extended. The drones are operating from Naval Air Station Rajali in Tamil Nadu.
Indian Navy sought a detailed report
“A high-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft, operating from INS Rajali, Arakkonam, was on a routine surveillance mission at around 2 pm when it developed a technical snag which could not be reset during flight,” the Navy said. “The aircraft was towed to a safe area over the sea and made a controlled landing in the sea near Chennai,” it said. The Navy has sought a detailed report from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Notably, a controlled landing generally refers to an emergency landing of an aircraft on water.
Under the lease agreement, General Atomics is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones. As part of the agreement, the company is expected to replace the lost drone with another one. The incident comes during India’s procurement process of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones, which are expected to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the armed forces, especially along the disputed border with China.