The Government of India has officially become the newest Observer State in the OCCAR-managed MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) programme.
India Joins Eurodrone Programme as Newest OCCAR Observer State
The Government of India has officially become the newest Observer State in the OCCAR-managed MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) programme, led by Airbus Defence and Space as the industrial prime, an official statement noted. The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation based in Bonn, Germany and overseeing several European defence programmes, has granted the Government of India, the Observer Status in the Programme following a formal request received in August 2024, the statement noted.
This move is taken by OCCAR as a first step that shows India’s willingness to explore opportunities to potentially collaborate on subjects of common interest between the country and Europe. India’s interest follows the Government of Japan, which was recognised as the first official OCCAR Observer State in the MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) Programme in November 2023.
The Chairmanship of the BoS was officially handed over officially on a yearly rotational basis, amongst the six OCCAR Member States, from Belgium to Spain in December 2024. The Eurodrone is an unmanned system, designed to carry-out long endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions developed by Airbus Defence & Space GmbH (prime contractor), Leonardo Spa, Dassault Aviation and Airbus Defence & Space SAU for Germany, France, Italy and Spain as well as other interested nations.
