Kamal Ghorui
As part of his ongoing US tour, Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal A P Singh held high-level discussions with US Air Force leadership, including Chief of Staff Gen Ken Wilsbach, to strengthen growing defence partnership and talked on shared strategic priorities, procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones and boosting Indo-Pacific cooperation.The IAF chief received a full honours arrival at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling on April 8 and met Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink and Wilsbach at the Pentagon.“It was an honour to host Air Chief Marshal AP Singh for this important counterpart visit,” Gen Wilsbach said, adding that discussions focused on modernisation, training opportunities, and shared commitment to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. Wilsbach also appreciated India’s participation in multilateral exercises and stressed continued cooperation to enhance deterrence capabilities. He further welcomed India’s procurement of MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones and assured continued US support for their effective integration into Indian armed forces operations.On Oct 15, 2024, India had signed a $4 billion (approx Rs 32,000 crore) deal to procure 31 MQ-9B Predator drones from the US, with deliveries scheduled to begin in Jan 2029 and conclude by Sept 2030. The deal includes 15 SeaGuardians for the Navy and 16 SkyGuardians for the Army and Air Force, boosting surveillance along the China and Pakistan borders.In a post on X, the IAF chief said, “The IAF chief received full honors and held talks with senior US officials, focusing on joint training, interoperability, MQ-9B drones, and modernisation efforts.”The IAF chief visited Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado for briefings centred on the binational North American Aerospace Defence Command mission of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America.Singh also travelled to Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where the visit included briefings at the US Air Force Warfare Centre and a familiarisation flight in an F-15EX Eagle II, a statement from the US Air Force (USAF) said.“Opportunities like this are crucial for building our joint interoperability and strengthening the strategic partnership between our air forces,” Singh was quoted as saying in the statement.The office call was followed by staff talks to discuss 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.
