# India leases two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from US for Rs 1,943 crore 2026-08-17T17:41:52+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 3 independent outlets The Ministry of Defence has signed a Rs 1,943 crore contract with US-based General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft for the Indian Navy for 30 months. The deal was signed on August 17, 2026, in New Delhi in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition) A. Anbarasu. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems are equipped with advanced sensors and payloads. The Defence Ministry said they will significantly enhance the Indian Navy's maritime domain awareness and provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage across the Indian Ocean Region. The Navy already operates two Sea Guardian drones leased a few years ago, The Hindu BusinessLine reports. The US Embassy welcomed the contract, saying it will advance the shared commitment of India and the US to a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. The lease will strengthen India's ability to monitor and respond to developments in the Indian Ocean Region. ## Coverage - greaterkashmir.com - thehindubusinessline.com - thehindu.com This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources. Last updated 2026-08-17T18:00:50+00:00. Tags: General Atomics, Indian Navy, Ministry of Defence, MQ-9B Sea Guardian Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/mod-leases-two-mq-9b-sea-guardian-drones-for-navy-at-rs-1943-crore/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/mod-leases-two-mq-9b-sea-guardian-drones-for-navy-at-rs-1943-crore/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/