The MQ-9B drone is a variant of the MQ-9 'Reaper' which was used to launch a modified version of the Hellfire missile that eliminated al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in the heart of Kabul in July 2022.

In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from American defence major General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean.

"A High Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft (HALE RPA) leased by the Indian Navy operating from INS Rajali, Arakkonam (near Chennai) encountered a technical failure at about 1400 hrs whilst on a routine surveillance mission which could not be reset in flight," the Navy said in a statement.

A high-altitude long-endurance MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone that was taken on lease by the Indian Navy encountered a "technical failure" on Wednesday while on a surveillance mission, officials said. The drone was operating from naval air station INS Rajali in Arakkonam near Chennai.

An MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone, leased by the Indian Navy, encountered a technical failure during a surveillance mission near Chennai and was safely ditc

A high-altitude-long-endurance MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone that was taken on lease by the Indian Navy from the U.S. ditched into the Bay of Bengal off Chennai after encountering a technical failure on Wednesday (September 18, 2024). The drone was operating from naval air station INS Rajali in Arakkonam near Chennai, the Indian Navy said.

The massive drone weighs well over 4 tons (4,000kg), has a wingspan of 24 metres and measures 11.7 metres in length, and can fly at altitudes of 40,000 feet (which is also the maximum altitude at which most commercial planes fly).

An Indian Navy MQ-9B Sea Guardian drone, leased from General Atomics, experienced a technical failure during a surveillance mission near Chennai. The drone was safely ditched at sea. The Navy is investigating the incident as India plans to procure 31 MQ-9B Predator drones for enhanced surveillance.