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US Embassy Officials Visit Predator Drones’ Naval Base

During the visit, the Indian Navy briefed US Embassy staff on the capabilities of the remotely piloted aircraft and its various sensors, as well as their roles in assisting Indian Navy surveillance tasking, maintenance and logistical support, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI)

US officials visited a key Indian Navy base that operates leased American Predator drones, highlighting the two countries close synergy in developing credible defence cooperation.

During the visit, the Indian Navy briefed US Embassy staff on the capabilities of the remotely piloted aircraft and its various sensors, as well as their roles in assisting Indian Navy surveillance tasking, maintenance and logistical support, according to a press release from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

“The visit by US Embassy staff to witness MQ-9 operations from an Indian Naval Base highlights the close synergy between our two countries in building credible defence cooperation for achieving and maintaining peace in the Indian Ocean Region,” said Vivek Lall, CEO of General Atomics Global Corporation, in a statement.

For more than two years, India has leased MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

“We were blown away by the collaboration between the Indian Navy and GA-ASI. The MQ-9 is a tried-and-true ISR platform and the Indian Navy has made full use of it,” Raghavan Srinivasan, Commercial Attache at the US Embassy in New Delhi, agreed.

“Despite the tempo of operations and pressures of long-range maritime surveillance, the camaraderie between Indian Navy personnel and GA-ASI crew is evident,” Srinivasan said.

According to a press release issued on Tuesday, GA-ASI manufactures the world's most advanced RPAS, which are outfitted with cutting-edge technology and are controlled by a complex ground system of interconnected control stations and operational centres.

GA-ASI supplied the MQ-9s to India as part of a Company-Owned, Company-Operated (COCO) lease agreement, without specifying the number of units leased to the country.

GA-ASI is the world's largest manufacturer of RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and mission system solutions. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain all use MQ-9s. The UK has purchased the newer GA-ASI variant and Belgium has placed an order for it.



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