Explained | What India Becoming Observer Nation Of Eurodrone Programme Means

New Delhi: India being accorded the observer nation status by the Eurodrone programme has come as a significant boost to New Delhi’s defence technology acquisition efforts.

According to a statement issued by the Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matiere d’Armement (OCCAR) or Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, Joachim Sucker, Director of OCCAR-Executive Administration (EA), formally delivered the Letter of Approval (LoA), according to observer nation status to India to Indian Ambassador to Germany Ajit Gupte in Berlin.

Sucker expressed the OCCAR-Board of Supervisors (BoS) appreciation and positive support for the Indian government’s interest in OCCAR and highlighted that the BoS has taken note of India’s willingness to explore opportunities to develop subjects of common interest and its recognition of the importance of cooperation between India and Europe.

“The OCCAR-EA Director congratulated the Government of India on committing to commence this special relationship and expressed his hope that this first step will lead to a long, fruitful and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the statement further reads.

With this, India has become the second Asia-Pacific nation after Japan to get observer status. India initially applied for Eurodrone observer status in August 2024 after Japan joined as an observer in November 2023.

What is OCCAR?

OCCAR is a European intergovernmental organisation that facilitates and manages collaborative armament programmes through their lifecycle between the governments of Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

OCCAR was established on November 12, 1996, by the defence ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Legal status was not achieved, however, until January 2001 when the parliaments of the four founding states ratified the OCCAR Convention. Other European nations may join OCCAR, subject to their actual involvement in a substantive collaborative equipment programme involving at least one OCCAR partner and ratification of the OCCAR Convention. Belgium and Spain joined the organisation in 2003 and 2005 respectively.

Other states can participate to OCCAR programmes without becoming a member state. Currently, the European Union member states and/or NATO members Turkey, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania and Poland participate in one or more OCCAR programmes without being formal members. Australia also participates in OCCAR as a non-member. In 2023, Australia became the first non-European country to act as a participating state as part of OCCAR when it signed onto the MU-90 In-service support programme. In November 2023, the Netherlands voiced its intention to join OCCAR.

What is the Eurodrone programme?

Eurodrone or European Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) is a twin-turboprop MALE unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under development by Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo with a first flight expected by mid-2027. Orders for the system have been placed by Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

The Eurodrone programme emerged in response to the increasing need for an indigenous European unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to address intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and operational requirements. European nations had long relied on non-European platforms like the American MQ-9 Reaper. Recognising the strategic and economic drawbacks of such reliance, the European Union initiated steps to foster a collaborative project under the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework.

On May 18, 2015, France, Germany and Italy launched a two-year European MALE RPAS study to define its operational capabilities, system requirements and preliminary design. Spain later joined the study. In November 2015, the programme management was assigned to OCCAR, with European Defence Agency support for air traffic integration and certification.

A two-year definition study was launched in September 2016. Airbus, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo unveiled a full-scale mock-up at the April 2018 ILA Berlin Air Show. In October 2018, OCCAR invited Airbus Defence and Space to submit a tender for the programme to coordinate the major sub-contractors, Dassault and Leonardo. In November 2018, the system’s preliminary design review was completed, allowing the stakeholders to align their requirements and contracts in 2019.

In late May 2019, Airbus submitted its offer. In the summer, the French Senate criticised the platform as “too heavy, too expensive and therefore, too difficult to export” due to “German specifications”. The first flight was then scheduled for 2024, with first deliveries planned for 2027.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry, contract signing slipped to 2021. The Airbus site at Manching was selected for final assembly and ground testing. The maiden flight was then scheduled for 2025, with first deliveries planned for 2028. The contract is for 20 Eurodrone systems, each of which includes three aircraft, resulting in a total of 60 drones.

In February 2022, the development and production contract was approved. The prototype's first flight is now expected by mid-2027.

How does India stand to gain by becoming an observer nation of the Eurodrone programme?

India’s interest in Eurodrone builds off a joint statement signed with Germany in October 2024 to deepen defence cooperation.

“Both governments agreed to intensify bilateral exchanges on security and defence issues also through enhancing research, co-development and co-production activities bilaterally, under EU mechanisms and with other partners,” the joint statement issued following the Seventh India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in New Delhi on October 25 last year read.

“In this regard, both sides will support enhanced industry level cooperation in the defence sector with a specific focus on technology collaboration, manufacturing/co-production and co-development of defence platforms and equipment,” it further stated. “Germany also welcomes India’s application for observer status in the Eurodrone programme of OCCAR partnering for critical and emerging technologies, science and innovation.”

According to the Breaking Defense defence news website, an observer nation in the Eurodrone programme “typically receives access to technical information related to a given platform and can also place orders for it, but unlike full partners does not have a say over aircraft design, development or work share decisions”.

India’s inclusion as an observer nation in the Eurodrone programme marks a significant step forward in its pursuit of strategic partnerships and technological advancements in the defence sector. This move not only highlights India’s growing stature on the global stage but also offers an opportunity to gain valuable insights into cutting-edge UAV technology and operational strategies. As India aims to bolster its indigenous defence capabilities under the Make in India initiative, collaborations like these pave the way for knowledge exchange, innovation, and potential co-development opportunities.