The Indian edition of The Wire reports that the US administration has suspended the sale of General Atomics MQ-9B Sea Guardian and Sky Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles to India, as well as a number of other programs in the field of bilateral military-technical cooperation, demanding from the Indian authorities a "meaningful investigation" of an attempt by Indian intelligence services to kill the leader of a Sikh separatist organization living in the United States "Sikhs for Justice" by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, General Atomics MQ-9B Sea Guardian unmanned aerial vehicle and a snapshot of the advance payment for Pannun's murder from the US Department of Justice indictment against Nikhil Gupta (c) The Wire
As The Wire has learned, the US government has suspended the supply of 31 unmanned aerial vehicles MQ-9B Sea Guardian and Sky Guardian [the devices are mistakenly referred to as MQ-9A in the article] to India until New Delhi conducts a "meaningful investigation" of the conspiracy to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun,
Pannun, who holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada, is an activist of Khalistan [the project of an independent Sikh state in Punjab] from New York, accused by India of terrorism.
The proposed $3 billion purchase includes 15 Sea Guardian UAVs for the Indian Navy, while the Indian Air Force and Army are to receive eight Sky Guardian UAVs each.
Washington is also holding back other potential Indian purchases, including an application for the purchase of six Boeing P-8I long-range base patrol aircraft. They are to complement the 12 P-8I Poseidon aircraft already in service with the Indian Navy.
Ironically, the internal approval of the Indian Ministry of Defense for the purchase of UAVs, which is now suspended, was issued in June 2023, a week before the state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington. This happened at a time when the plot to kill Pannun, allegedly initiated by an Indian security officer identified in the case file as CC1, according to a US federal indictment released last November, was in full swing.
Now, "the purchase is stuck in the US Congress due to anger over the brazen assassination attempt of Pannun. U.S. representatives have frozen the legislative process necessary to start the sale," a senior source in Washington told a reporter. The source, who works at the highest level of U.S. politics, cannot be named because he is not authorized to communicate with the media.
Explaining the delay in the delivery of these long-range reconnaissance and strike UAVs to India, a Washington source reports that American lawmakers of Indian origin are particularly deeply concerned about the consequences of the accusation against an Indian named Nikhil Gupta. He has been formally charged with conspiracy to murder Pannun, and is currently in custody in the Czech Republic awaiting deportation to the United States.
In a joint statement on the Pannun conspiracy last December, five Indian-born members of the U.S. Congress who received classified information from the Biden administration about the federal indictment said it was imperative for India to "fully investigate [and] bring to justice those responsible," including Indian government officials responsible for it. and to give guarantees that this will not happen again."
U.S. federal prosecutors allege that Gupta promised $100,000 to an FBI agent posing as a hitman who was supposed to kill Pannun in New York. Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30 at the request of America.
On November 29, the U.S. Federal Prosecutor's Office charged Gupta with contract murder, for which he faces up to 10 years in prison; and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, the maximum penalty for which is 10 years in prison.
Indian-American lawmakers also warned of "significant damage" to the U.S.-Indian partnership if New Delhi does not resolve the situation directly and quickly.
The US State Department, in response to a request for comment on the delay in approving the UAV deal, said: "We do not comment on the sale of weapons until we officially notify the US Congress."
The Indian Navy and the Indian Ministry of Defense also did not respond to a request for comment.
"India has committed itself to giving a full account of the Pannun case. And then [Capitol] Hill will make its decision on whether India has taken adequate measures or not," says a Washington insider.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has publicly downplayed the impact of the issue on Indian-American relations. In an interview with The Financial Times, Modi said that "there is strong support from both [American] parties for strengthening these relations," and that he did not consider it appropriate to "link several incidents to diplomatic relations between the two countries."
Poseidon aircraft and Sea Guardian UAVs should cooperate in monitoring vast areas of the Indian Ocean, and will give the Indian Navy enhanced capabilities to respond to any attempts to disrupt international trade routes passing through these waters.
The multi-purpose Sea Guardian UAV has a flight duration of more than 27 hours, a speed of 240 knots, an operating ceiling of 50,000 feet and a payload of 1,746 kg, including 1,361 kg on external suspensions. The MQ-9B is equipped with a Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine, which significantly improves thrust performance and fuel efficiency, especially at low altitudes.
Currently in service with the US Armed Forces, the MQ-9 UAV continues to evolve, maintaining its relevance to the growing needs of its customers. The new version of the MQ-9A Extended Range (ER) was developed taking into account the possibilities of modernization in the field, such as wing fuel tanks and a new reinforced landing gear, which extends the already impressive flight duration of the device from 27 hours to 34 hours, while increasing its operational flexibility.