NEW DELHI: Aiming to step up their defence and security ties, India and Germany on Monday announced a slew of measures including a Joint Declaration of Intent to develop a Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap for the promotion of technology partnerships, co-development and co-production of defence platforms and equipment.
Affirming the decisions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday welcomed the outcomes of the High Defence Committee meeting held in New Delhi in November 2025 to further augment bilateral defence cooperation including institutionalised services Staff Talks and visits of Service Chiefs.
The High Defence Committee meeting jointly chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar had reaffirmed the commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation with a focus on developing defence ties as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Germany.
The Prime Minister's Office said, "The leaders endorsed the commitment of both sides to deepen military-to-military cooperation through joint exercises, training and exchanges of senior officials, and noted with satisfaction regular reciprocal port calls by the Naval ships of both countries. The leaders welcomed the establishment of a new Track 1.5 Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue between the two countries."
Modi welcomed Germany's intent to participate in Naval Exercise MILAN, and the 9th Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs in February 2026, Air Combat Exercise Tarang Shakti in September 2026, as well as Germany's decision to deploy a liaison officer to the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR).
The New Indian Express had first reported Germany's decision to deploy a liaison officer who is expected to be posted before June this year.
There has been an incremental rise in military ties between the two countries. In a significant first in August 2024, Germany participated in an aerial exercise on Indian soil, with its Eurofighter Typhoon performing air manoeuvres. Incidentally, it was the Indian Air Force's first-ever multinational exercise -- Tarang Shakti 24.
On Monday, both sides expressed satisfaction at the ongoing cooperation between the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for the Eurodrone MALE UAV programme, which will enable India to collaborate and harness advanced military technology and strengthen its strategic and defence ties with Europe.
India also welcomed Germany's efforts to facilitate expeditious export clearances of defence equipment.
Modi and Merz appreciated the growing interaction between Indian and German defence businesses through defence roundtables/seminars held in Berlin and New Delhi and welcomed regular exchanges in this area.
Both leaders also lauded the continuing cooperation in submarines, obstacle avoidance system for helicopters and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), and looked forward to enhanced defence industrial collaboration by building a deepened relationship based on shared goals and complementarity of strength, namely skilled workforce and competitive costs from India and high technologies and investment from Germany.
The project to construct six state-of-art AIP fitted conventional submarines [Project-75 (India)] is being led by DPSU Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL) under the strategic partnership (SP) with Germany's TKMS (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems). It is at the Cost Negotiation Committee (CNC) stage and will go through before March 31, said sources.
As for the Obstacle Avoidance System, it will enable helicopters to detect obstacles such as power lines, aerial cableways, pylons and towers during low-level flight, which often pose serious risks.
To boost ties further, the PMO said, "In the context of cooperation on training and exchange, the two leaders welcomed progress towards concluding a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Peacekeeping training between institutions of both countries, Reciprocal Logistics Support Agreement between armed forces, and knowledge exchange in the field of new Defence Technologies between DRDO and Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw)."
India and Germany have had a strategic partnership since 2000, which has been strengthened through inter-governmental consultations since 2011 at the level of heads of government.
