India, Germany system to avoid copter crash

SOON India and Germany will manufacture Obstacle Avoidance Systems (OAS) in India, which will arm the military helicopters to avoid accidents like the one in which General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, lost his life.

- MAYANK SINGH @New Delhi

In a significant development, both the nations on Wednesday agreed to jointly manufacture OAS for military helicopters, a rare, high-value defence technology transfer that marks one of the most substantial collaborations between the two nations in nearly three decades.

At the Dubai Airshow 2025, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Germany’s HENSOLDT, in which the German government holds a 25.1% stake, signed a landmark contract that defence officials described as the most significant India-Germany defence technology transfer in 30 years.