India Signs Deal For 31 Predator Drones From US

The Indian Navy is likely to get 15 of these, while eight each will be allotted to the Army and the Air Force.

In a big boost to the armed forces, India has signed a deal with the United States to acquire 31 MQ-9B Predator drones. 

The Indian Navy is likely to get 15 of the drones, which will be the 'Sea Guardian' variant while the Army and the Air Force will be allotted eight 'Sky Guardian' Predator drones each. Sources told NDTV that the total cost of the deal is likely to be under $3.5 billion. 

The deal for acquiring the drones from American manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) under a Foreign Military Sales contract between the two governments was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security earlier this month.