Defence Ministry to take up MQ-9 Reaper drone deal with US on Thursday

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States, India’s Defence Ministry is going to discuss the acquisition of MQ-9 Reaper drones from the US.
The acquisition of these drones is scheduled to come up for discussion during an important high-level meeting of the defence ministry on Thursday, defence sources told ANI here. Earlier the plan was to rationalise the acquisition of these drones and reduce their numbers from 30 to 18 or less, they said.
However, now India is expected to go ahead with the original plan of acquisition of 30 drones including 10 each for all three services, the sources said.
The Indian Navy is the lead service for the acquisition of these drones and has been pursuing the case thoroughly.
The three services also have plans of going in for similar types of medium altitude and long endurance drones from indigenous sources.
Meanwhile, PM Modi is scheduled to visit the US from June 21 to 24, where US President Joe Biden will host him at the White House. This will be PM Modi’s first state visit to the US during his nine-year reign as prime minister.
PM Narendra Modi during his visit will also become the first Indian PM to address the Joint Meeting of the US Congress for the second time. Indian Americans said the invitation sent to Prime Minister to address the US Congress serves as a reminder of the historic significance of the relationship between the US and India, reflecting the shared dream and commitment to global peace and prosperity, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.