The Trump administration has approved the sale of armed drones to India and has offered integrated air and missile defence systems aimed at helping the country boost its military capabilities and protect shared security interests in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.
The approval-cum-offer from the U.S. came in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama terrorist attack in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed and the increasing militarisation and assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific ocean. While the deal is yet to see the light of the day, mainly because of the delay in decision making process by India in view of the Lok Sabha elections, the U.S. in recent months informed New Delhi about its decision to sell armed version of the Guardian drones.
“The United States approved the sale of the armed drones to India. We have offered integrated air and missile defense technology to India,” a senior White House official said.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not reveal when the sale of the armed drones to India took place. During a 2017 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, the U.S. had agreed to sell surveillance version of the Guardian drones to India.
The ball is now in India’s court, a Defence industry source said, adding that the deal could be in the range of over $2.5 billion. While officials are tight-lipped about it, the offer is said to be about two of its latest systems: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD), which is highly effective when used against long-range ballistic missiles and Patriot Missile defense system.
India was the first non-treaty partner to be offered a Missile Technology Control Regime Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System — the Sea Guardian Unmanned Aerial System manufactured by General Atomics. Close on the heels of armed drones, which will have its implications in South Asia and Indo-Pacific region, the U.S. has also offered its integrated defense missile capabilities to India.
India, which has already signed an agreement with Russia to purchase S-400 missile defense system, is yet to respond to the American offer which came of its own.
“We want to see India improve its defense capabilities so that it can be a net provider of security in the broader Indo-Pacific region,” the official said.
In a fact sheet on “U.S. Security Cooperation with India” issued this week, the State Department joined the White House in trying to help strengthen its defense capabilities mainly in the Indo-Pacific region. “India plays a vital role in the US vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” stated the fact sheet issued by the Bureau of Political Military Affairs of the State Department.
The U.S. had designated India as a Major Defense Partner in 2016. In accordance with the designation, India was granted Strategic Trade Authorization Tier-1 status in 2018, which allows it to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies that are regulated by the Department of Commerce.
With a Communications, Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) and other enabling agreements now in place, the U.S–India defense trade cooperation continues to expand, the fact sheet said.
Some of the recent top defense sales to India totaling more than $8.5 billion include MH-60R Seahawk Helicopters, Apache Helicopters, P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft, and M777 Howitzers. The State Department is also pushing for Lockheed Martin F-21 and Boeing F-18/A - two state-of-the-art fighter aircraft that India is currently evaluating.
“We are now reaching agreements that we did not have before that allow us to consider sales that were incomprehensible five years ago. The choices that are made now will establish the framework for the future” a senior State Department official told a group of reporters last week.
