The Indian Air Force (IAF) is rethinking the purchase of 30 American-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) worth $6 billion after Iran’s downing of a US Global Hawk drone in the Persian Gulf region last month, the Hindustan Times cited unnamed military sources as saying.
The sources said that the IAF are now especially concerned about the US drones’ effectiveness and survivability in volatile airspace along India’s border with Pakistan and Chinabwhich New Delhi claims can be equipped with advanced surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.
In June, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that they had downed a US Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone after it had violated Iranian airspace. Despite US claims that the drone had been flying over international waters, Iran said it has retrieved sections of drone in its own territorial waters where it was shot down.
ZZ/SPUTNIK