Kamal Ghorui
Three months after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s visit to India, defence minister Rajnath Singh is in Germany for a three-day visit. Merz visited India to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-Germany strategic partnership. Both nations are working towards greater defence cooperation. During Chancellor Merz’s visit in January, the two countries signed a defence industrial cooperation roadmap. The roadmap focused on the co-development and co-production of defence hardware. The defence ties between two of the largest economies are anchored in the 2006 Defence Cooperation Agreement and the Inter-Governmental Cooperation (IGC).During his visit to the western European nation, Rajnath Singh is scheduled to meet his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius. The two leaders are expected to review ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and identify new areas where the two countries can cooperate. The defence minister will meet representatives of the German defence industry and promote co-production under the Make in India initiative.Defence cooperation between India and Germany began in the 1950s. The first symbol of this relationship was the production of the Shaktiman truck, popularly known as 3-ton in the Indian armed forces. The Shaktiman truck was a licensed-built copy of a German MAN design. The production of this vehicle started at the Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (VFJ) in 1959 and ceased in 1996, with a total of 75,000 trucks made, according to Jane’s.Another iconic symbol of this cooperation is the Dornier-228 (Do-228). This aircraft is the workhorse of the Indian Air Force’s light fixed-wing transport fleet. The navy and the coast guard use the same aircraft extensively for maritime patrol.This cooperation extends below the waves, as India’s Shishumar-class submarines were acquired from Germany. India is currently in the final stage of cost negotiations with the German firm ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) for the procurement of six Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system-equipped Type-214 diesel-electric submarines, under Project-75I. These state-of-the-art submarines can stay underwater for longer durations than other conventional submarines, making them stealthier. Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies has signed an agreement with TKMS to manufacture heavyweight torpedoes in India.With pressure on Germany and other NATO members to increase defence budgets and the United States warning to leave the alliance, European nations are staring at new strategic options. The momentum for the Indo-German partnership to expand is strong. With converging strategic aims and a mature industrial sector, the partnership between India and Germany can shape undersea dominance, defence electronics and co-produced platforms, contributing to Indo-Pacific stability and genuine strategic autonomy for both sides.
