NEW DELHI: India is getting set to ink the mega deal for 31 weaponised MQ-9B 'hunter-killer' Predator drones with the US next month, with the defence ministry now finalising the draft note for the finance ministry and then the final nod from the PM-led cabinet committee on security. The report of the defence ministry's contract negotiation committee has been "submitted and accepted" for the govt-to-govt deal for which the US had earlier quoted a price of $3.9 billion (over Rs 33,500 crore), sources told TOI.
The development comes as PM Modi is slated to visit the US for the fourth in-person Quad leaders' summit in Delaware on Sept 21. The contract should be inked in mid-Oct. The costing, setting up of an MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) facility in India, performance-based logistics support and other such issues have been finalised after hard negotiations," a source said.
While there will be no direct transfer of technology (ToT) in the deal, the 31 remotely-piloted aircraft will be assembled in India , with the drone-manufacturer General Atomics making an investment in India and sourcing over 30% of the components from Indian companies. Drone-manufacturer General Atomics will also provide expertise and consultancy to DRDO and others to develop such high-altitude, long-endurance drones indigenously. TOI was the first to report last month that India was fast-tracking the techno-commercial negotiations for the deal, under which 15 Sea Guardian drones are earmarked for Navy a.