Khera said that each Predator/Reaper drone from General Atomics USA will cost approximately Rs 812 crore each and India is keen to buy 31 of those which means India shall spend Rs 25,200 crore while the DRDO can develop the same in just 10-20 percent of the cost. He said their first combat mission was in 2017 and now there has been advancement in technology with new latest variants which have come up. "But the people of India need answers on the USD 3.072 billion (25,200 crore at current conversion levels) deal for 31 MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) - commonly known as MQ-9B Predator UAV Drones manufactured by only one entity - General Atomics," he said, adding these are not the latest in the town. So much so that the Defence Ministry had to release an official PIB clarification and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had to clarify, he claimed. Khera said as the dust settles on all "manufactured glitter" on PM Narendra Modi's much publicised visit to the USA, there is one defence deal which is now under the radar of several questions. It had said that the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) accorded to the procurement by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) noted the estimated cost of USD 3,072 million (one million=10 lakh) as provided by the US government, adding the price will be negotiated once policy approval from Washington is received. Trashing reports on the price as well as the acquisition process, the Defence Ministry had said on Sunday that India is yet to finalise the cost and specific terms of purchase of 31 MQ-9B long endurance drones from the US and it will examine the "best price" offered by the manufacturer to other nations before concluding the procurement. Otherwise, we will be trapped in another 'scam' under the Modi Government," he told reporters. India needs answers to the crucial questions. In a typically British move, the UK air force has renamed its Reaper squadron as the Protector, to make it sound friendlier."We demand complete transparency in this Predator Drone deal. In the meantime, the Reaper is the new platform of choice for military use by the US and its allies. Instead the manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, has redeveloped the drone for civilian government use, renamed it the SkyGuardian, and is trying to flog it to police forces around the world. The retirement of the Predator doesn't mean they will be banished from the skies. "And after making life and death decisions all day, it doesn't matter. "You come home and have to make all the little choices about the kids' clothes or if I parked in the right place," said retired drone pilot Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Black. There's also the dislocation of spending a day fighting remotely in a cubical and then going home to see the wife and kids. The study suggested that whereas conventional pilots seldom see the results of attacks, drone operators stay on station to record the attack. While drone pilots suffer lower levels of post-traumatic stress disorder than pilots on the ground, a 2013 study found, the mental strains are heavier for controllers operating from home. That saves a lot of costs, but also comes with its own problems. Predator and Reaper drones typically have a two-person crew – one to fly the aircraft and the other to handle weapons systems. Drone fliers don't even need to be in the same locale – or even the same continent – as the aircraft they are flying, thanks to reliable satellite control feeds. And when it comes to drones, cost is a critical argument.
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