India, Germany to sign defence industrial cooperation roadmap

India and Germany are likely to sign this week a defence industrial cooperation roadmap to bolster the bilateral military relationship during defence minister Rajnath Singh’s upcoming official visit to that country from April 21 to 23.

“Discussions will focus on enhancing defence industrial collaboration, strengthening military-to-military engagements, and exploring opportunities in emerging domains such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, and drones,” the defence ministry said on Sunday.

An Indian defence minister is visiting Germany after seven years; Nirmala Sitharaman visited the country in February 2019 when she held the charge.

Singh’s visit comes when the ₹70,000-crore Project 75I for building next-generation conventional submarines in the country is about to be finalised.

Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and German yard thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) will build six advanced submarines under P-75I to sharpen the navy’s underwater capabilities.

Also Read: MDL to get submarine contracts worth over ₹1 lakh crore in FY25-26

The first submarine under P-75I will be delivered to the navy seven years after the contract is signed, with the rest delivered at a rate of one per year. These advanced submarines, a variant of HDW Class 214 vessels, will come with air independent propulsion (AIP) systems.

AIP increases a submarine’s underwater endurance and reduces the risk of detection. As part of the contract, tkMS will transfer the submarine’s design and technology to India, enabling the goal of self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.

During the three-day visit, Singh will hold bilateral talks with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius and other senior leaders. An “Implementing Arrangement for Cooperation in UN Peacekeeping Operations Training” is also likely to be signed, the defence ministry said.

“The visit will provide an opportunity to review the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new avenues for collaboration between the defence industries of both countries,” it added in a statement, noting that the two countries share a strong and multifaceted strategic partnership, anchored in democratic values, rule of law, and a shared commitment to a rule-based international order.

Also, India is likely to join a global consortium developing a sixth-generation fighter aircraft—the world’s most advanced—because the Indian Air Force (IAF) does not want to lag in deploying this capability to meet future air threats, as HT previously reported.

The IAF, the world’s fourth largest, has zeroed in on two global consortia—the UK, Italy and Japan/France, Germany, and Spain—hoping to join forces with one of them to develop the sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

Also Read: India, Germany finalise 19 pacts including defence industrial co-op roadmap

The UK, Italy and Japan are part of the GCAP (Global Combat Air Programme), while France, Germany and Spain have come together under the FCAS (Future Combat Air System) to develop a ‘system of systems’ that will operate across five domains—air, land, sea, cyber and space—with the sixth-generation fighter as its core platform. The next-generation combat air capability will roll out incrementally and is expected to deploy by 2040.

The proposed cooperation with Germany in the drone and cyber domains comes at a time when India is preparing to initiate far-reaching military reforms to ensure its armed forces are ready for future battlefield challenges. Creating a drone force stands out among the raft of goals India seeks to pursue and accomplish by 2047 when the country marks its Independence centenary.

The roadmap, Defence Forces Vision 2047, aims to transform the military into a world-class force. It seeks to establish a cyber-command, a space command, a cognitive warfare action force and a national air defence shield under Mission Sudarshan Chakra as the character of war evolves rapidly due to technological advancements.