India joins Eurodrone programme as observer

Why in news?

India has officially joined the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (MALE RPAS) or Eurodrone programme as an observer.

Eurodrone:

• It is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS).
• It is being developed primarily to meet European defence and security requirements.
• It is a drone-based surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system, aimed at providing advanced capabilities over conventional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Eurodrone Programme:

• The programme is a joint initiative of four major European countries – Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
• Eurodrone is led by Airbus Defence and Space (Germany).
• Its key members include:
  • Leonardo (Italy)
  • Dassault Aviation (France)
  • Airbus (Spain)
• The program is managed by the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR).

India's Participation:

• India made a formal request to join the Eurodrone program in August 2024.
• India has now become an observer country of the program, giving it an opportunity to monitor the technical and operational progress of Eurodrone.
• India's participation will strengthen defense technology, drone development, and military cooperation with European countries.
• It can also help India's indigenous drone and aerospace industry reach new heights.

Other Observer Countries:

• Japan became the first official OCCAR observer country in the Eurodrone program in November 2023.