US clears sale of drones to India ahead of Modi’s visit to America

The US has cleared the sale of 22 Guardian drones to India, government sources said Thursday, a deal being termed as a “game changer” for bilateral ties ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington for his maiden meeting with President Donald Trump.

According to informed government sources, the decision has been communicated to the Indian government and the manufacturer by the US State Department on Wednesday. The deal is estimated to be worth US $2 billion.

India has been pushing hard for US approval of its request to buy a naval variant of the Predator drone. Securing agreement on the purchase of 22 unarmed drones was seen in Delhi as a key test of defence ties that flourished under former President Barack Obama but have drifted under Trump, who has courted India's rival China as he seeks Beijing's help to contain North Korea's nuclear programme.

Modi's two-day visit to Washington begins on Sunday. Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in April and has also had face-time with the leaders of nations including Japan, Britain and Vietnam since taking office, prompting anxiety in Delhi that India is no longer a priority in Washington.

Through the unarmed surveillance drones, the Indian Navy wants to keep watch over the Indian Ocean. “We were trying to move it to the top of the agenda as a deliverable,” said an official tracking the progress of the drone discussions in the run-up to the visit.

India, a big buyer of US arms recently named by Washington as a major defence ally, wants to protect its 7,500 km coastline as Beijing expands its maritime trade routes and Chinese submarines increasingly lurk in regional waters.