New Delhi, Feb 2: The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 31 armed drones, missiles, and assorted equipment to India, amounting to nearly $4 billion.
The deal, originally announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US in June 2023, had faced a temporary hold by a Senate committee in December. The committee initiated the hold pending an investigation into an alleged Indian assassination plot on US soil.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has firmly rejected any association with the alleged murder plot. The ministry clarified that a high-level inquiry committee has been established to investigate the accusation and address the security concerns raised by the US government.
In response to these developments, the Pentagon stated on Thursday that the contemplated drone deal with India is designed to “support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by contributing to the reinforcement of the US-Indian strategic relationship.”
The sale, featuring 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 310 laser small-diameter bombs, as well as communications and surveillance equipment, along with a precision glide bomb, has now received the green light from the US Congress. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is slated to be the principal contractor for this significant deal.