In January 2025, India has officially joined the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) or Eurodrone programme as the Observer State. With this, India became the second Asia-Pacific country after Japan to gain observer status.
- The letter of approval (LoA) was handed over by Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation’s (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, OCCAR) executive administration director, Joachim Sucker, to Ajit Gupte, India’s ambassador to Germany in Berlin, Germany.
- India made a formal request to become part of this programme in August 2024, and the approval was granted in January 2025.
Key Points:
i.Now India is granted access to technical data and the ability to place orders for the aircraft, they are not involved in the decision-making processes regarding the platform’s design, development, or the distribution of workshare among the participating countries.
ii.This collaboration is expected to enhance India’s defence relationship with Europe, supporting other ongoing initiatives such as the C-295 aircraft, which is being manufactured in India.
About Eurodrone Programme:
i.The Eurodrone project is a collaborative initiative involving four nations: Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. It was launched in 2016, is valued at an estimated Euro 7 billion (USD 7.3 billion).
ii.This programme is managed by the OCCAR based in Bonn(Germany) and led by Taufkirchen(Germany) based Airbus Defence and Space, includes Leonardo (Italy), Dassault Aviation SA (France), and Airbus (Spain) as major subcontractors.
iii.The Eurodrone is a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) designed for long-endurance missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance, maritime monitoring, and anti-submarine warfare.
- Designed to work in all weather conditions, it is equipped with a twin-engine setup.
iv.The system passed its Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in 2024 and is expected to be operational by 2030. It is capable of carrying up to 2.3 tonnes of payload and can stay in the air for up to 40 hours.
v.The first flight of the Eurodrone is scheduled for 2026, with initial deliveries expected by 2028.
Note: Currently, the Indian Air Force(IAF) operates only 31 squadrons, far below the approved strength of 42, marking the lowest number of squadrons since 1965.
About Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement(OCCAR):
The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation is an intergovernmental organization in Europe that manages and facilitates collaborative armament programs.
Director – Joachim Sucker
Headquarters – Bonn, Germany
Established – 1996
