New Delhi: The MQ-9B SeaGuardian drone, leased by the Indian Navy from the US, had to perform “controlled ditching”, or emergency landing, at sea off Chennai after developing a technical glitch.
The Navy had leased two such drones for surveillance missions from the US in 2020.
According to a statement by the Navy, a High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) operating from the naval air station INS Rajali Arakonnam near Chennai encountered a technical failure during a routine surveillance mission, which could not be reset in flight.
The Navy then navigated the aircraft to a safe area over sea and carried out controlled ditching. According to sources, the drone is yet to be recovered.
The Navy has sought a detailed report from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), General Atomics.
The drones were inducted under emergency procurement to carry out ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions at a time when tensions were running high between India and China in Eastern Ladakh.
India is in the process of acquiring 31 RPAs of different kinds from the US. In June this year, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared the $3 billion deal.
India and the US will likely sign the deal for the drones in October, sources said. Before the signing of the deal, the prime minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security will give the final approval for the procurement of the drones.
The 31 drones will be divided among the armed forces with the larger share going to the Navy. Sources said that 15 of these would go to the Navy and eight each to the Air Force and Army.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)