The Biden administration is applying diplomatic pressure on New Delhi, encouraging the Indian government to overcome its internal bureaucratic hurdles and progress on a considerable armed drone acquisition ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming state visit to Washington, according to sources knowledgeable on the subject.
India's interest in procuring large armed drones from the United States is well-known, yet bureaucratic impediments have stalled a proposed deal for the SeaGuardian drones, potentially worth between $2 billion and $3 billion.
The anticipated June 22nd visit of Prime Minister Modi to the White House has raised expectations for the U.S. negotiators that a breakthrough might be achieved.
Ever since the date for Modi's state visit was set, the U.S. State Department, Pentagon, and White House have been urging India to demonstrate progress on a potential deal for as many as 30 MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, manufactured by General Atomics, shared the sources.
Additional points on the table for Modi and President Biden's discussion include the co-production of munitions and land vehicles, such as armored personnel carriers, during Modi's time in Washington.
The White House, Department of State, and Pentagon did not provide any comments on the ongoing negotiations.
For President Biden, fostering strong ties with India has been a key strategy to offset China's expanding influence, underlining the need for cooperation on advanced military technologies between the world's two largest democracies, notwithstanding the absence of a formal security alliance.
India, known for its neutral stance in international power conflicts, has complicated U.S. relations by preserving some of its defense and economic links with Russia, even following the Ukraine invasion.
The decision to proceed with the drone purchase now rests primarily on the Indian government's ability to draft an "Acceptance of Necessity" document, a preliminary step to the official "Letter of Request" that initiates the foreign military sale process.
"We think it would be good for them to go through with the purchase of MQ-9s. But those decisions are sort of more in the hands of India than they are of us," noted a senior Biden administration official.
This significant topic is likely to be discussed as Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, lands in New Delhi this Tuesday to finalize the preparations for Modi's visit.
India's defense ministry, as of last week, remained undecided on the exact number of drones to purchase, with initial considerations of 30 being revised down to 24, and most recently, 18.
The sources emphasized that no final count has been settled on and the demand for domestic manufacturing of some components might introduce additional complexities into the deal.
The Quad member nations, including the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan, either operate or have operated the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. At present, India is leasing MQ-9Bs for intelligence-gathering operations.
