SkyGuardian Drones: “This sale is necessary in furtherance of the US foreign policy and national security objectives,” said the release.
Washington: With the likelihood that the lawmakers won’t object on Sunday, the sale of 31 MQ9-B SkyGuardian Drones to India is anticipated to proceed more quickly. The only obstacles remaining are the standard procedural issues brought on by the approaching general elections.
The State Department’s resolve to pursue a prospective foreign military sale of 31 MQ-9B remotely piloted aircraft and accompanying equipment to India for an estimated cost of USD 3.99 billion was reported to the US Congress in February by the Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
The estimated cost of the remaining services, including technology and equipment, is USD 2.29 billion, while the 31 MQ9-B SkyGuardian Drones alone cost USD 1.70 billion. The proposed agreement also comprises 35 L3 Rio Grande Communications Intelligence Sensor Suite and 161 Embedded Global Positioning & Inertial Navigation Systems (EGIs) in addition to 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian Aircraft.
“This sale is necessary in furtherance of the US foreign policy and national security objectives,” the announcement stated.
The United States’ next move is to send India a letter of offer and acceptance, which is essentially a formality under normal conditions.
Declared by US President Joe Biden in June 2023, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Washington, DC, all significant legal and administrative processes pertaining to the matter have already been completed by the Indian side, including the Union Cabinet’s.
The next stage is for India to formally receive the letter from the State Department to the United States. This is necessary in order for the formal pricing discussions to start between the two nations.
It is doubtful that there will be one more judicial challenge after the general election announcement, which enacts the Model Code of Conduct.
“Model Code is not applicable to any matter pertaining directly to the defence forces, be it the recruitments/promotions for defence forces, any service matters pertaining to them, defence purchases of any kind, tenders relating to the matter of the defence forces and therefore no reference in such matters need to be sent to the Election Commission,” states the Model Code of Conduct published by the Indian Election Commission.
“These guidelines will be applied to all future elections and will be regarded as the Commission’s standing instructions. In response to a question, the Election Commission of India wrote a letter to the Ministry of Defence on March 27, 2014, stating that “this may be brought to the notice of all concerned for future guidance.”
