India has been granted Observer Status in the OCCAR-managed MALE RPAS (Eurodrone) Programme, following its request submitted on August 27, 2024.
The decision was formalized with the delivery of the Letter of Approval (LoA) from the OCCAR Board of Supervisors (BoS) to the Indian government. OCCAR-EA Director Joachim Sucker handed over the letter, signed by the former BoS Chairman Lt Gen Frédéric Goetynck, to Indian Ambassador Ajit Gupte at the Indian Embassy in Berlin. The BoS Chairmanship rotates annually among the six OCCAR member states and was transferred from Belgium to Spain in December 2024.
The Eurodrone programme is a European initiative developing a Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) intended for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. The programme is managed by OCCAR and involves Airbus Defence & Space GmbH as the prime contractor, along with Leonardo Spa, Dassault Aviation, and Airbus Defence & Space SAU. Germany, France, Italy, and Spain are the participating states, with additional interest from other nations.
The MALE RPAS programme aims to develop a European unmanned aerial system that integrates into civil airspace and provides operational capabilities for conflict prevention and crisis management. The initiative is part of efforts to enhance European defense technology and reduce reliance on non-European systems.
Since its launch in 2016, the programme has completed key milestones, including a System Requirement Review and a System Preliminary Design Review in 2018. A global contract covering development, production, and initial in-service support for 20 systems, comprising 60 aircraft and 40 Ground Control Stations, was signed on February 24, 2022, with Airbus Defence and Space GmbH as the prime contractor.
The programme also received financial support from the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) in 2021, leading to a grant agreement with industry partners. Manufacturing of the first prototype is scheduled to begin in 2024, with serial deliveries expected by the end of the decade.
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