The Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement/Organisation for Joint
Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) will register an important growth in 2022 with the addition of
new programmes and customers after a previous year rather challenging due to the recurring
pandemic. “In 2022, our portfolio will increase to more than twenty programmes including two
related to the land domain: the Light Armoured Vehicle (also kwown as Véhicle Blindé d’Aide à
l’Engagement or VBAE) and the CAMM ER (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile – Extended Range),
being this latter a project to be managed within the FSAF (Famille des systèmes Surface-Air Futurs
– Famiglia dei sistemi Superficie-Aria Futuri) Programme. By mid 2024, we also expect the
integration of the Wide Wet Gap Crossing (WWGC, formerly known as Triton) programme”, the
OCCAR-EA Director, Matteo Bisceglia told the Eurosatory Show Daily.
“Our operational budget will steadily increase as new programmes are integrated and new
contracts are signed. I estimate that by late 2022 we will reach a total cap of over € 100 billion. A
structural reorganisation will be needed to cope with our growth, to continue ensuring the highest
level of efficiency in managing programmes, while limiting our administrative overhead cost”, he
continued.
The VBAE programme covers a feasibility study for the preparation and definition phase for the
acquisition of an innovative light armoured vehicle, with France and Belgium as participating
States.
Being procured by Italy for the Army and Air Force air defence system projects and being
considered by other potential customers, the CAMM-ER missile procurement and in-service
support (ISS) programme is planned to be integrated within the existing FSAF-PAAMS air defence
missile Programme Division.
The WWGC programme will regard the development, production and initial ISS for a river crossing
capability that goes beyond actual systems currently on the market in favour of Germany and UK
with France having expressed interest.
“The current seven on-going programmes connected to the land domain will continue to provide
work to the organisation through new developments, production and mid-life upgrades”, the
OCCAR Director explained. Last May, the Slovenia joined the Boxer Programme and signed an
order for 45 vehicles including an ISS package. The first deliveries are expected in 2023 from Artec,
the Joint Venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall Landsystemes, Rheinmetall Defence
Nederland.
“The Boxer programme now has five participating states, other nations being Germany,
Netherlands, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. The latter recently ordered 100 vehicles for a
current total of 623 units, with the first prototype and the first vehicle deliveries expected
respectively in 2022 and 2023 following a design and verification phase and production
transferring to UK. Australia maintains an observer status”, the OCCAR Director explained.
In March 2021, on behalf of Italy and France, OCCAR and the Eurosam consortium including MBDA
and Thales signed the Amendment 7 to the three-national (France, Italy and UK) FSAF-PAAMS
Sustainment & Enhancement (S&E) programme by launching the SAMP/T NG (New Generation) air
defence system including the new Aster 30 Block 1NT EC (Enhanced Capability). Thales GF-300 and
Leonardo Kronos GM HP radar sensor variants for the SAMP/T NG were contracted last December,
while the three national Aster munition Mid-Life Upgrade continues.
Initiated as an European Defence Agency (EDA) technology demonstrator to develop a Software
Defined Radio (SDR) architecture and a military High Data Rate Networking Wideband Waveform
(HDR WF) and subsequently selected as a PESCO project, the Participating States including France,
Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland and Poland, launched two new projects (ESSOR New Capabilities
and ESSOR Multifunctional Information Distribution System) in 2021 to extend the application
field from ground systems to air and space, enforcing the ESSOR scope and community.
In March 2022, OCCAR signed on behalf of France and Spain with Airbus Helicopters and MBDA,
the Mk III contract for the mid-life upgrade of the combat helicopter Tiger concerning not only a
new electronic mission suite but also the new MHT air-to-ground missile, which is under
development for France under the separate MAST-F programme also managed by OCCAR.
The Cobra (Counter Battery RAdar) programme with Germany and France as Participating
countries continues in a series of maintenance and already-contracted or under preparation mid-
life activities in addition to a new ISS multi-year contract to be signed in 2022. OCCAR also
manages the Belgium and German Night Vision Capability (NVC) programme concerning the
procurement and in-service support for the new generation Mikron night vision goggles (NVGs).
“OCCAR is looking at creating a “Small Programmes” Programme Division to manage such
programmes while ensuring the lowest overhead ratio”, the OCCAR Director added.
By Luca Peruzzi