New Delhi, Aug. 18 -- The defence ministry on Monday said it signed a Rs.1,943-crore contract with US firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian high-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems to boost the navy's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The two remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) are being leased for 30 months, it said. The navy already operates two such systems, leased from the US in 2020 for assured surveillance of the IOR. The platforms are based at naval air station Rajali in Tamil Nadu. Equipped with advanced systems, state-of-the-art sensors and sophisticated payloads, the MQ-9Bs will significantly enhance the Indian N...