India Set To Acquire 'Guardian' Drones From US

A week after India allowed the US to use its Army, Air Force and Naval bases for military purposes, Washington has announced that it will export 22 unarmed high-tech multi-mission Predator Guardian drones to the South Asian powerhouse.

A senior US Defence Department official has confirmed the news, saying that India will use the Predator Guardian drones mainly for maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, described India as the US' "major defence partner" in Asia, stressing that New Delhi had sent a request to the Barrack Obama administration in this regard in June. Later, the Defence Department received an official Letter of Request (LoR) from the Indian Navy in which it was clearly stated that the Indian naval forces were eager to purchase 22 Predator Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Although the US government is...