NEW DELHI (Reuters) -- India signed a deal with the U.S. State Department on Tuesday to buy 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drones, the South Asian nation's defence ministry said.
The deal follows talks that began in 2018. It is expected to significantly increase India's surveillance and intelligence capabilities and is in line with U.S. efforts to coax India away from buying Russian military equipment and counter China's growing dominance.
