In an effort to enhance surveillance capabilities and detect movement of the adversary especially on the Line of Actual Control(LAC), India has acquired two predator drones from the US. In the months to come, 18 more such sophisticated drones will be inducted into the Indian Navy.
The two drones were made operational earlier this week by the Navy in south India. These drones have an endurance capability of more than 30 hours and can relay top quality visuals to the Navy. Besides getting deployed in the Indian Ocean region there, security establishment also plans to use these machines in Eastern Ladakh and eastern sector of the LAC covering Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, source said here on Wednesday.
They said the Predator drones were acquired through the emergency route in the wake of the nearly seven month long stand-off on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The two drones were procured under lease agreement valid for more than a year.
A US crew was assisting the Navy in maintenance and technical issues handling the drone.
