India Becomes Observer State in Eurodrone Programme.
International
India officially joined the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS), also known as the Eurodrone programme, as an Observer State in January 2025. This milestone makes India the second Asia-Pacific country after Japan to gain observer status in the programme.
- The Letter of Approval (LOA) was handed over by Joachim Sucker, Executive Administration Director of the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement, OCCAR), to Ajit Gupte, India's Ambassador to Germany, in Berlin, Germany.
- India had formally requested participation in the Eurodrone programme in August 2024, with approval granted in January 2025.
Main Point :- (i) As an Observer State, India gains access to technical data and the ability to place orders for Eurodrone aircraft. However, India will not be part of the decision-making processes concerning the platform's design, development, or workshare distribution among participating nations.
(ii) This collaboration is expected to bolster India's defence relationship with Europe, complementing other initiatives like the C-295 aircraft, which is being manufactured in India.
About Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement (OCCAR)
Director : Joachim Sucker
Headquarters : Bonn, Germany
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