India approves procurement of U.S. MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones

News Snapshot:

NEW DELHI, June 15 (Reuters) - India's defence ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters on Thursday. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. India’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The defence ministry's initial clearance for the procurement comes just days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for a state visit to the U.S. next week. According to the two sources, Indian defence ministry’s apex body for capital procurement met on Thursday to approve the deal,...