The Indian government has cleared a proposal to buy 10 shipborne unarmed drones for the Indian Navy, reported Indian news agency Asian News International.
The Indian Navy issued the emergency proposal, worth approximately 1,300 crores Indian rupee ($177.5 million), in August when tensions with China reached the breaking point.
The drones will be deployed on large warships in the Indian Ocean to boost surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Leased Two Sea Guardians in November
India’s purchase comes on the heels of the country receiving two General Atomics Sea Guardians, the unarmed naval version of the Predator drone, from the US on a one-year lease in November.
The deal was significantly less than the Indian Navy’s earlier plan to buy 30 General Atomics armed Predator-B drones in a deal worth around $6 billion.
However, the high cost of the American drones reportedly forced the Indian government to look for an alternative way to boost its naval capabilities.