US firm General Atomics is expected to replace the MQ-9B Predator drone at the earliest to carry out surveillance missions for the Indian Navy as per the requirements projected in the contract between the two sides.
The Indian Navy said that a High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) encountered a technical failure on Wednesday, after which the aircraft was navigated to a safe area over the sea and carried out a controlled ditching at sea off Chennai.