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As portion of his ongoing US tour, Indian Air Force main Air Chief Marshal A P Singh held high-level discussions with US Air Force leadership, including Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach, to fortify increasing defence concern and talked connected shared strategical priorities, procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones and boosting Indo-Pacific cooperation.The IAF main received a afloat honours accomplishment astatine Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling connected April 8 and met Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Wilsbach astatine the Pentagon.“It was an honour to big Air Chief Marshal AP Singh for this important counterpart visit,” Gen Wilsbach said, adding that discussions focused connected modernisation, grooming opportunities, and shared committedness to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Wilsbach besides appreciated India’s information successful multilateral exercises and stressed continued practice to heighten deterrence capabilities.
He further welcomed India’s procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones and assured continued US enactment for their effectual integration into Indian equipped forces operations.On Oct 15, 2024, India had signed a $4 cardinal (approx Rs 32,000 crore) woody to procure 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US, with deliveries scheduled to statesman successful Jan 2029 and reason by Sept 2030.
The woody includes 15 SeaGuardians for the Navy and 16 SkyGuardians for the Army and Air Force, boosting surveillance on the China and Pakistan borders.In a station connected X, the IAF main said, “The IAF main received afloat honors and held talks with elder US officials, focusing connected associated training, interoperability, MQ-9B drones, and modernisation efforts.”The IAF main visited Peterson Space Force Base successful Colorado for briefings centred connected the binational North American Aerospace Defence Command ngo of aerospace warning, aerospace power and maritime informing for North America.Singh besides travelled to Nellis Air Force Base successful Nevada, wherever the sojourn included briefings astatine the US Air Force Warfare Centre and a familiarisation formation successful an F-15EX Eagle II, a connection from the US Air Force (USAF) said.“Opportunities similar this are important for gathering our associated interoperability and strengthening the strategical concern betwixt our aerial forces,” Singh was quoted arsenic saying successful the statement.The bureau telephone was followed by unit talks to sermon topics that included the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Programme, the Air National Guard's Advanced Airlift Tactics Training Centre, and full-spectrum MQ-9 operations.
