Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR-Executive Administration (EA), personally handed over the observer nation acceptance letter to the Indian Embassy in Berlin.
Paris: In a major development, India has officially joined Europe’s multinational Eurodrone program as an observer nation. The Organisation of Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) made the announcement and welcomed India’s participation in the cutting-edge Eurodrone Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) program.
India’s involvement in this program is expected to benefit its defense industries, especially the Air Force, the most. Moreover, India’s chances of accessing Europe’s state-of-the-art defense technology are likely to increase significantly.
Eurodrone and European Companies
On January 21, Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR-Executive Administration (EA), personally handed over the observer nation acceptance letter to the Indian Embassy in Berlin. It is important to note that OCCAR oversees several key European defense projects, including the A400M Atlas airlifter, Boxer armored utility vehicle, Tiger attack helicopter, and the Horizon Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU)/FREMM multi-role frigate.
The OCCAR-EA Director congratulated the Government of India on this achievement and expressed hope that it would lay the foundation for a long-term, fruitful, and mutually beneficial collaboration.
Here are some of the key details:
- India’s inclusion in the Eurodrone program is a significant event in the defense sector.
- India has now become the second Asia-Pacific country after Japan to attain observer status.
- After Japan’s entry as an observer in November 2023, India’s application for observer status was submitted in August 2024.
- Becoming an observer will give India access to Eurodrone’s technical data and enhance its capability to place orders for the aircraft.
- Observer countries are not involved in decision-making processes related to the design, development, or workshare distribution among participating countries.
Eurodrone as Part of India’s Defense Strategy
The OCCAR has not detailed the benefits India will receive, but this move aligns with India’s broader defense strategy, which focuses on deepening technological collaboration with global partners. India’s participation in the Eurodrone program follows shortly after a joint defense cooperation agreement signed with Germany in October 2024.
This agreement underscores commitments to technology collaboration, co-production, and co-development of defense platforms.
