인도가 GA에 MQ-9B 스카이 가디언 15기, 시 가디언 16기 등 31기를 발주했네요.
India signs 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian HALE RPAS deal with US (airforce-technology.com)
India signs 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian HALE RPAS deal with US
The deal will see the Indian military receive 15 Sky Guardian and 16 Sea Guardian drones.
MQ-9B drones are claimed to be a variant of the MQ-9 Reaper (pictured). Credit: United States Air Force/commons.wikimedia.org (Creative Commons).
India’s Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with US-based General Atomics for the procurement of 31 MQ-9B Sky/Sea Guardian high altitude long endurance (HALE) remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS).
The deal, executed under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement, is a move that will see the Indian military receive 15 Sky Guardian and 16 Sea Guardian drones, according to MoD’s post on X platform.
It further entails that 16 units are designated for the Navy and eight each for the Army and Air Force.
India joins a group of countries, including Japan, Belgium, the UK, and the US, that operate the MQ-9B.
The procurement process commenced with the Defence Acquisition Council’s agreement on 15 June 2023, endorsing the necessity for these vehicles through the FMS route.
In July 2024, the Defence Acquisition Council led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, proceeded to review and approve amendments to the deal.
Last week, the Cabinet Committee on Security granted the final approval for this acquisition, alongside the green light for a nuclear-propelled hunter submarine project.
These MQ-9B drones are capable of surveillance and precision strike missions and are expected to be inducted into service over the next four years.
It is a variant of the MQ-9 Reaper, featuring more than 35 hours of endurance, a payload capacity for four Hellfire missiles and approximately 450kg of bombs.
With a top speed of 442km/h and an operational ceiling higher than commercial aircraft, the uncrewed system also has an unrefuelled range of 2,000 miles.
Additionally, a contract for performance based logistics has been signed with General Atomics Global India to establish depot level maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in India, ensuring sustained operational readiness.
In September 2024, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems put a MQ-9B RPA through a full-scale fatigue testing as part of the aircraft certification to NATO standard STANAG 4671.
첫댓글 미국은 통신위성을 써서 본토에 앉아 MQ-9을 컨트롤하는데 인도는 그렇게까지 하지는 않겠죠?
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/mq-9b-predator-drone-crashes-after-technical-failure-at-sea-off-chennai-6596787
이 뉴스에 따르면 현재 첸나이에서 굴리는 MQ-9B는 일본 해보청처럼 GA에서 파견된 인원들이 운영하는 것 같습니다.
https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales/india-mq-9b-remotely-piloted-aircraft
이 FMS 발표문에 보면 'Ku-Band SATCOM GAASI Transportable Earth Stations (GATES); C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals' 들이 포함돼 있는데, 가시선통신과 위성통신을 둘 다 쓰는 게 아닌가 싶네요.