Recently, a left-wing news outlet asserted that the US government had halted the sale of 31 Predator drones to India.
In an article authored by a defence analyst, it was claimed that the US government linked the delivery of "MQ-9A Sea Guardian and Sky Guardian drones" to India conducting a thorough investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
The analyst also contended that the US had delayed the proposal to sell six Boeing P-8I Poseidon aircraft to the Indian Navy, based on information from an undisclosed "highly-placed source in Washington."
Contradicting the report, the Hindustan Times, a day later, stated that the US Congress had approved the drone sale to India.
According to their exclusive report, the US State Department communicated to drone manufacturer General Atomics that the 'tiered review' for the 31 MQ9B drones had been cleared by Congress, with official notification expected within 24 hours. General Atomics reportedly conveyed this information to the Indian government.
The conflicting claims on this significant defence deal have confused, prompting a need to ascertain the actual status of the agreement. The key question revolves around whether the US government would block a major defence deal due to an alleged plot to assassinate an American citizen accused of terrorism by India.
During a regular press briefing at the US State Department, spokesperson Matthew Miller addressed the matter. He refuted the reports suggesting the deal had been blocked, dismissing them with a humorous comment when asked if the report was accurate or false. Miller emphasised the role of the US Congress in the arms transfer process and stated that formal notification timings were not available for comment.
Follow us
