New DelhiA minute ago
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to visit America from 21 to 24 June. Amid preparations for his visit, the Defense Ministry on Thursday approved the Predator drone deal with the US. The final decision for this will be taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
Defense sources told news agency ANI that the Predator drone deal was approved in the Defense Acquisition Council meeting on 15 June. Now the acquisition has to follow the prescribed process, then the CCS will approve it.
This drone can stay in the air for 35 hours
If we talk about the specialty of Predator drone, then it can stay in the air for about 35 hours. This is full remote control. Two people are needed for this. It can monitor an area of 1900 kms once it takes off.
According to sources, it can fly 482 kilometers in an hour. Its wingspan is 65 feet 7 inches and its height is 12 feet 6 inches. Predator is called Next Generation Drone. Can execute military missions both on land and sea in due time. The special thing is that apart from Israel and America, no one else has such excellent and advanced drones.
Indian Navy took MQ-9B on lease in 2020
In 2020, the Indian Navy received two ‘MQ-9B’ Sea Guardian drones on lease for one year from the US to monitor our maritime border. Later the lease time was extended. It can be deployed for many things including surveillance, intelligence gathering and destroying enemy targets.
Al-Zawahiri was killed with this drone
All these drones are being purchased for all the three armies. The MQ-9B drone is the second version of the MQ-9 ‘Reaper’. Last month, it was used to fire a modified version of the Hellfire missile in Kabul. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in this.
It is also believed to have been used by the US to find Osama bin Laden. However, then its old version was used. The version India is going to buy is said to be the most advanced drone in the world.