Heron TPs swoop into Indian lease
In addition to leasing two SeaGuardians, the Indian military has added some Heron TPs as it attempts to crank up aerial surveillance.
The new leasing option in Defence Procurement Procedure 2020 has proved beneficial to the Indian Army as it skirmishes with China on the border and experiences delays in Heron 1 UAV upgrades.
As a result, the army has leased four Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Heron TPs for around $200 million as part of an emergency procurement.
The lease lasts three years, with an option to extend by two more years.
Indian pilots will fly the Heron TPs, initially with handholding from IAI, and probably at a test range. After that, they will be handed to the military, Siddharth Sivaraman,
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