The failure of power generators and batteries on board the MQ-9B Predator drones operated for the Indian Navy by an American firm led to its crash last week off the Chennai coast.
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.
The meeting of the Indian Navy top brass comes soon after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's call to the defence forces to be ready for the unexpected at the recently held Joint Commanders' Conference in Lucknow.
Amid increasing use of unmanned warfare, the Defence Ministry has given approval to the Indian Navy's plans worth over Rs 2,500 crore to build 100-tonne unmanned underwater vessels.
The Indian Navy will participate in the exercise with more than 30 nations with the theme of 'Regional Cooperation through Trusted and Proven Partnerships.'
In a move towards boosting its surveillance and fighting capabilities, the Indian Navy is looking towards concluding three major defence deals this financial year, including the 31 MQ-9B drone deal, 3 additional Scorpene submarines and the 26 Rafale-M fighter aircraft project.
This significant maritime exercise took place from September 2 to 4, 2024 in the Mediterranean Sea, following a port visit by INS Tabar to Toulon, France, from August 29 to September 1, 2024, as per an official press release by the Indian Navy.
In a significant milestone to develop bilateral naval cooperation, the Indian Navy and the South African Navy have signed an Implementing Agreement (IA) that ensures the safety of the South African Navy's submarine crew in times of distress or accident.
Amid an ongoing standoff with China, the Defence Ministry is set to take up mega projects of building seven most advanced frigates for the Indian Navy along with Indian Army's proposal to replace its T-72 tanks with modern tanks under the Future Ready Combat Vehicles.