IRIA News

India eyes jet-powered Predator C Avenger – unmanned combat air vehicle – that can fly 1,800 mi (2,900 km) from its operating base and stay airborne for 18 hours

IRIA Report (by Sana Jamal)

India will become one of the first countries to buy armed Predator Avenger drones from the U.S. as it has formally asked the United States for Predator C (unmanned combat air vehicles), India’s leading defense journal claims.

India proclaimed its desire to buy surveillance drones such as the Predator soon after the South Asian country was admitted to Missile Technology Control Regime, an international anti-proliferation grouping. The admission to MTCR was hailed as a major breakthrough that has opened the way for India to buy high-end missile technology.

“MTCR was the first step. Now things can be discussed. The U.S. Foreign Military Sales process is lengthy and it has to be also cleared by the U.S. Congress,” an Indian defense ministry official said.

Predator C Avenger is powered by a turbofan engine and has stealth features such as internal weapons storage, and an S-shaped exhaust for a reduced infrared signature and radar signature.

Predator C is developed by General Atomics Aeronautical System Inc. (GA-ASI), which has earlier provided an unarmed version, Predator XP, to the Indian Air Force and Navy. Indian Air Force has been requesting the Ministry of Defence for strike drones.

“We are aware of Predator interest from the Indian Navy. However, it is a government-to-government discussion,” Vivek Lall, chief executive of U.S. and International Strategic Development at San Diego-based General Atomics, told Reuters.

How will Avenger benefit India?

“Switching from propeller-driven drones to jet powered ones will allow Indian military planners faster reach over targets especially in convert military operations” according to this review.

New hi-tech drones will enhance India’s defense and military as well as upgrade its regional position.

Predator C will be particularly valuable for India as the pilotless aircraft can remain airborne for 35 hours at a stretch. The jet-powered Predator can carry a payload of up to 6,500 pounds and has a range of 1,800 miles, flying at up to 50,000 feet.

Can new Indian drones lead to strategic imbalance in the region?

New Delhi already uses surveillance drones (from Israel) to monitor the mountains of Kashmir – a disputed region between Pakistan and India which has been the cause of two major wars.

But Pakistan is not the only concern for India. The new stealthy drones will help Indian Navy in surveillance in the Indian Ocean where Chinese navy is expanding ship and submarine patrols in the region.

The new stealth drones can not only create new tensions between Pakistan and India but also aggravate border standoffs with China.

Reaction from Pakistan

The purchase of drone threatens to heighten tension among arch-rival Pakistan and India.

“There is obviously going to be push-back from Pakistan, because if it (the drone) does get through in some way or other it enhances Indian capability,” says Ejaz Haider, a Pakistani security analyst.

“The drones, which can reach anywhere in Pakistan, obviously can create, can heighten the tensions, and increase the risk of a conflagration,” comments Talat Masood, a retired lieutenant general and an Islamabad-based defense analyst.

A Pakistani daily has reported in June 2016 that the United States has already deployed several drones in an Indian air base close to Pakistan. A radical Islamist even claimed that U.S. was using India-based drones to attack targets in Pakistan.

U.S. – India growing defense ties

If approved, the drones would signify growing defense ties between Washington and New Delhi.

India also forwarded its request for drones when U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter headed to India this year and held talks with his Indian counterpart, Manohar Parrikar. During the 2016 talks, India and U.S. agreed on the shared use of military bases, logistics, and defense technology.

India and United States have recently reached a historic defense deal which was under discussion for over a decade. The deal will allow India access to high-level, advanced U.S. defense technology.

India is currently the world’s largest arms importer, accounting for 14% of the global imports in the 2011-2015, according to latest report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). India’s weapon imports are three times greater than its rivals China and Pakistan.

“It’s actually quite amazing how quickly the Indian-U.S. relations have developed,” said Siemon Wezeman, a researcher at the SIPRI. “Within a few years India has embraced U.S. weapons” and America is now “supplying India with very advanced military technology,” he told Bloomberg.

Predator C Avenger RPA

Predator C Avenger design and features

Predator C Avenger is a next generation, multi-mission, jet-powered unmanned aircraft system (UAS) designed and manufactured by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI).

– Predator C Avenger’s unique design, reduced signature, and speed increases its survivability in higher threat environments, claims GA-ASI.

– Avenger is a highly advanced, next-generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) was developed from the MQ-9 Reaper series (Predator B).

– Avenger is designed to perform high-speed, wide-area surveillance time-sensitive strike missions over land or sea, flying up to 500 mph at a maximum of 50,000 feet for as long as 18 hours.

– Avenger can fly 1,800 mi (2,900 km) from its operating base and stay airborne for 18 hours.

– Predator C Avenger is billed as a true unmanned combat air vehicle, more lethal than all of the previous Predator UAVs.

However, it is worth mentioning that United States Air Force was unimpressed and considered Predator C not stealthy or tough enough as compared to the previous Reaper. The Air Force desired a “hardened” MQ-X airframe that could “withstand significant battle damage, while the on-board systems detected, avoided and countered both physical anti-air and electronic communications and GPS jamming threats” – requirements which the Avenger could not meet, according to the Air Force.