Can India's MQ-9B Drones Survive Against China-Pak Anti-Missile Systems after Houthis Claims

India's recent acquisition of 31 MQ-9B drones, a multi-billion dollar investment intended to enhance its military capabilities, has come under scrutiny following reports that Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly downed these sophisticated machines.

The ease with which the Houthis, a non-state actor with limited resources, have reportedly targeted these drones raises serious questions about their survivability in a potential conflict against the technologically advanced militaries of China and Pakistan.

The Houthi claims, which include the downing of nine such drones since October 2023, have not been independently verified. However, they highlight the MQ-9B's vulnerability, particularly its susceptibility to enemy fire due to its relatively slow speed and limited defensive capabilities.

The drones, though equipped with advanced features for intelligence gathering and precision strikes, lack the agility and robust countermeasures to evade threats from even rudimentary offensive platforms.

While the Houthis' alleged success may be attributed to their localized knowledge and tactics, the concern remains that India's adversaries, with their far superior technological and military prowess, could exploit these vulnerabilities even more effectively. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of these drones in a high-intensity conflict scenario, particularly against sophisticated anti-missile systems.

India's acquisition of the MQ-9Bs is part of a broader strategy to modernize its military and address security challenges on its borders, especially with China.

The drones, with their extended range and endurance, were expected to provide critical intelligence and strike capabilities in the vast and challenging terrain of the Himalayas.

However, the recent events in Yemen have underscored the potential limitations of these drones and the need for a comprehensive assessment of their survivability in a contested airspace.

While General Atomics, the manufacturer of the MQ-9Bs, has remained silent on the Houthi claims, the Indian military will undoubtedly be analyzing these developments closely.

The effectiveness and survivability of these drones in a potential conflict scenario are crucial factors that will shape India's defence strategy and future acquisitions.

 

[subrat beura]

This deal is done for getting Tejas engine

 

[Mithu]

It's not for war time surveillance.Its for peace time surveillance. Look a Poseidon costs 25 lakhs for an 8 hour surveillance whereas for 24 hours surveillance MQ9 will cost 3 lakhs. Therefore there is huge savings. Posiedon will fly when war will be there.
That's the logic for acquiring these drones

 

[R. Singh]

UCAVs are venerable in highly fortified air defence BUT we must make 1000+ UCAVs+UAVs and induct them in our fighter squadrons ! For say our one fighter squadron should have 20 fighters+20 UCAVs !

 

[Anant]

What utter nonsense is this article? The MQ-9B deal is being fast-tracked to ensure the contract is signed before the end of October, as that is when the present LoA expires. There is certainly no second-guessing going on here.

The potential vulnerabilities of the drones has been known for a long time. Combat losses of the MQ-9 aren't a new thing. Any reconsideration has already been done.

 

[sanket]

previously i have said Instead of Buying MQ-9B Drone Bharat should have gone for atleast one sqad of Rafale as a Follow-on order , Buying these drone /Reaper are waste of money

 

[War is good for business]

The whole point of a drone is that if it's shot down there is no pilot and smaller cost makes them somewhat expendable.

 

[The Presence]

There's EW Pod available for self defence.

 

[Dredd]

previously i have said Instead of Buying MQ-9B Drone Bharat should have gone for atleast one sqad of Rafale as a Follow-on order , Buying these drone /Reaper are waste of money

you can patrol entire arabian sea and bay of bengal at fraction of cost compared to P8I aircraft. These will be used majorly for reconiscence and intellingence.

 

[Chinese eater]

No drone is worth huge money. Drones only advantage is in its cost not technologies. 10 Indian Drones are more potent than a single mq9b. Drones are potent only when its can be fielded immediately and huge in numbers.

 

[Dredd]

What utter nonsense is this article? The MQ-9B deal is being fast-tracked to ensure the contract is signed before the end of October, as that is when the present LoA expires. There is certainly no second-guessing going on here.

The potential vulnerabilities of the drones has been known for a long time. Combat losses of the MQ-9 aren't a new thing. Any reconsideration has already been done.

These are absolute necessity for Indian Navy, Indian Army and Airforce could do with less capable and significantly cheaper Israelis Drones.

 

[kurtwallis wallis]

Use drones very judicially with caution always as there is no drone out there with EW SPJ systems as in fighter jets.. Operate at very high altitudes and use sideways looking cameras...

 

[MANIVANNAN N]

During war time this is easily targetable.. uselesss. Strategicaally unimporttant for huge money.

 

[Anant]

3 billion is a huge amount of money. 26000 crs. With that much money, we can send many satellites. We can also build atleast 100 to 200 surface ships of 10 thousand tons weight category ships. This is a very big loot deal.

100 ships of 10000 tons each, eh? What are you building them of, exactly? Even aluminium is comparably expensive, and that assumes you somehow manage to get 100 blocks of aluminium weighing 10,000 tons each to float.

See, 3 billion or 4 billion USD is a very large sum of money. No denying that either. These drones aren't cheap either. However, these drones are needed for monitoring the IOR and borders, and we don't have alternatives. Hence, we get what is available.

 

[Anant]

India should be proactive....considering MQ-9B's reduced effectiveness in the current situations, it should bargain for lesser price per piece and divert the savings in procuring SU-75 or similar.

Yes, let's keep aside drones that are needed and gamble that money on an aircraft that doesn't exist, probably will never exist, and if it did exist, would be used for a different role as compared to the drone. Fantastic idea, you know.

 

[Sunil Choan]

3 billion is a huge amount of money. 26000 crs. With that much money, we can send many satellites. We can also build atleast 100 to 200 surface ships of 10 thousand tons weight category ships. This is a very big loot deal.

Don't buy American anything they have screwed us many times over the years

 

[PKPRS]

3 billion is a huge amount of money. 26000 crs. With that much money, we can send many satellites. We can also build atleast 100 to 200 surface ships of 10 thousand tons weight category ships. This is a very big loot deal.

Even $10Bln is a huge amount, but we still paid that to get only 36 slow moving Rafale that IAF liked it or not, It may not needed for IAF, but these drones are must for the Navy to reduce cost in the long run.

 

[kurtwallis wallis]

3 billion is a huge amount of money. 26000 crs. With that much money, we can send many satellites. We can also build atleast 100 to 200 surface ships of 10 thousand tons weight category ships. This is a very big loot deal.

Armed drones are a MUST for any Navy or Army really as seen in Ukraine wars. MQ9's are simply the very best out there really!

 

[Anant]

We can build atleast 500 surface ships with 26000 crs of rupees which is same as 3 billion dollars as the cost of this drones deal. These ships will be lightly armed with a cannon, torpedoes, anti ship missiles and other weapons of small caliber. 500 ships will be sufficient for complete coverage of bay of Bengal and Arabian sea.

You know what, I'll bite for a second. The deal value is a tad short of 4 billion USD, but for the sake of strengthening your argument, let's assume the deal value is 4 billion USD. Divide that over 500 ships, and you get a unit cost of 8 million USD each.

The ships closest to that price point are the Car Nicobar-class patrol boats. These are very small boats with relatively high operating costs, a small range, and practically no defensive weaponry.

If you somehow managed to get 500 of them, where would you bring the crews (around 14,500 men), and the operational infrastructure? That alone would constitute such an expense so as to make the whole thing unviable.

 

[Anant]

Don't buy American anything they have screwed us many times over the years

They haven't, but okay. The only time one can say they technically screwed us over was during the Kargil War. Even so, even the Bhikaristanis weren't given access to GPS.

 

[Instant Karma]

Armed drones are a MUST for any Navy or Army really as seen in Ukraine wars. MQ9's are simply the very best out there really!

Better solution will be to build many surface ships armed with missiles. They will boost local economy and will have a life span of 30 years.