European procurement organisation OCCAR-EA signs General Security Agreement with Australia.

On 14 November 2023, the European procurement organisation OCCAR-EA Director, Joachim Sucker, signed the General Security Agreement between OCCAR and the Government of Australia at the OCCAR premises in Bonn, Germany. The document was countersigned by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Hon Richard Marles MP of the Government of Australia in Canberra.
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OCCAR-EA Director, Joachim Sucker, signed the General Security Agreement between OCCAR and the Government of Australia at the OCCAR premises in Bonn, Germany (Picture source: OCCAR)

This Agreement came into being following fruitful negotiations between OCCAR-EA (the European procurement organisation) and the Australian Defence Security Division, which commenced in 2022, after the OCCAR Board of Supervisors provided OCCAR-EA with the mandate to begin negotiations. This Security Agreement is another important step in developing a long-lasting relationship between OCCAR and Australia.

According to Ben Felton's remarks in the Australian Defence Magazine, Australia may not be a formal member of OCCAR, an organization comprising Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, but it does have vested interests in several programs managed by OCCAR. These programs encompass assets for two of the nation's three armed services: the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) and Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) for the Army, as well as the MU90 Impact Lightweight Torpedo for the Navy.

Notably, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) currently deploys the MU90 Impact aboard its Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class air warfare destroyers. This torpedo is also expected to be integrated into the Hunter-class frigate and, potentially, future 'Tier 2' combatant vessels. Australia holds a unique distinction as the sole non-European entity to be designated as a "participant" in an OCCAR-managed program. This status was conferred upon Australia when it joined the MU90 Impact Lightweight Torpedo In-Service Support Program (ISSP) in May 2023, along with France, Germany, and Italy.

Furthermore, a newly established information security agreement, referred to as a "General Security Agreement" by OCCAR, represents a standard accord between the organization and non-member states actively engaged in its programs. Broadly, these agreements harmonize varying standards of classification among participating parties, safeguard classified information transmitted by OCCAR from unauthorized disclosure to non-members without the organization's consent, and institute a framework for official visits to secure facilities.

The document was countersigned by the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (Picture source: Australian Department of Defence)

Defense News November 2023