[Wash Times] New Delhi is expected to purchase two dozen unarmed drones from the United States to monitor growing Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean.President Donald Trump's administration authorized the sale in June, with the price tag estimated at $3 billion, according to defense researcher Jane's by IHS Markit. The U.S. approval was the first such clearance to a friendly, non-NATO nation, but the transaction has yet to be finalized and was a key topic of discussion during General James Mattis' visit to India this week.
Manufactured by American defense contractor General Atomics, the unmanned devices‐ called Guardians ‐ are "the world's most advanced maritime reconnaissance drones and can help India track the movement of Chinese warships with its multi-mode maritime radar," said Harsh Pant, head of the strategic studies program at the Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank.
Privately held General Atomics makes the drone in question as a maritime variant of its Reaper unmanned vehicle.