SOURCE: RAUNAK KUNDE / NEWS BEAT / IDRW.ORG.
According to ” The Financial Express”, the Indian Navy is also in talks with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp to acquire the Turbofan engine-powered MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (“UAS”) that has a unit cost of over $120 million after it backed a deal with General Atomics to acquire 10 MQ-9 Sea Guardian UAS worth $100 million each.
P-8I, MQ-9 Sea Guardian along with MQ-4C Triton are seen as a perfect Trio that can provide persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) over Indian Ocean Region (IOR) with a mission radius that can detect any hostile ships entering IOR that can threaten Indian territorial waters.
Indian Navy is operating two MQ-9 Sea Guardian on lease from General Atomics and along with 12 P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft it has been able to keep high vigil in the IOR and Naval command is impressed with its performance and endurance and interoperability between both platforms.
MQ-4C Triton is a high-altitude long endurance (HALE) aircraft that will be used for maritime patrol and other surveillance roles. The Triton builds on elements of the Global Hawk UAS, with reinforcements to the airframe and wing. MQ-4C Triton procurement might be seen as one more component brought to increase its maritime missions.
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