As India looks ahead toward growing its roles and responsibilities on the world stage, there seem to be no limits in sight.
One core part of the foundation for this new structure in the 21st century is with durable partnerships which benefit India’s allies and friends as well as the nation itself, and which already are bearing fruit in terms of upgraded capabilities.
Look no further, for example, than uncrewed aerial systems. The Indian Navy is a pioneer user of some of the most advanced new unmanned multi-mission aircraft in the world, the MQ-9B SeaGuardian®, which are built by the American contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
The Navy got its start with two preproduction-model MQ-9Bs in a lease-hire agreement. Following the success of those aircraft over tens of thousands of operational hours, the Indian government has announced that it is acquiring 31 full, production-model MQ-9Bs over the coming years: 15 for the Indian Navy and eight apiece for the Indian Air Force and Indian Army.
Major Indian contributions
The forthcoming slate of MQ-9B aircraft for the Indian military will incorporate heavy use of Indian technical know-how and production support on the Subcontinent. The program for these aircraft follows in the footsteps of other collaboration agreements in which users of advanced unmanned aircraft contribute much themselves.
One example is the program negotiated between the United States and the United Kingdom. The Royal Air Force also flies the MQ-9B. In its case, British builders produce the aircraft’s v-tails and other components within the United Kingdom, which are then assembled with the final aircraft for delivery. The Canadian government and others have similar agreements in which their operational aircraft are assembled with significant amounts of home-built components.
Work is well underway in India to build a similar team. Some milestones already have been announced, including a partnership between builder GA-ASI and Bharat Forge Limited, in which Bharat Forge will manufacture landing gear components, subassemblies and assemblies for the remotely piloted aircraft.
Bharat Forge is part of the Kalyani Group and represents India’s largest repository of metallurgical know-how, design, engineering experience and manufacturing prowess. It offers full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineer, manufacturing, testing and validation.
Partnerships like these, with the support of the American and Indian governments, let these nations contribute their best in the service of their common interests and objectives. And although the full outlines of an Indian program for MQ-9B continue to take shape, it’s already clear what the aircraft have contributed to the security environment around the Indian Ocean.
Revolutionary surveillance
Over more than 10,000 flight hours of operations, the SeaGuardian has enabled India to greatly expand and improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from its own shores to the east coast of Africa and beyond.
These aircraft can fly for more than 30 hours, in some configurations, giving the ability to cover distances or remain over key areas, or both, that no human-piloted aircraft can match.
While it’s aloft, MQ-9B provides a huge wealth of intelligence of all kinds. The aircraft can send back full-motion color video or high-definition infrared footage in day or night. It has a synthetic aperture radar that permits it to see through clouds, fog, mist or smoke. And it can collect a huge breadth of electronic intelligence via its other onboard sensors.
MQ-9B also is a highly capable and stable platform for a number of specialized payloads. These could include communications relays to help other units keep in contact, or sensors such as a 360-degree maritime surface search radar to assess vessel traffic over a large area.
The possibilities for SeaGuardian’s various missions are vast.
