April will be a busy month for the French Navy in the Indian Ocean. It is deploying its Carrier Battle Group to the region and participating in two major exercises – La Perouse, a French Naval war game with the Quad countries, and the other Ex Varuna, a trilateral exercise with India and the UAE in the western Indian Ocean. The 18th edition of the Indo-French bilateral naval Ex Varuna is scheduled for the last week of April. This, according to an Indian Navy veteran, “underlines the importance France accords to the entire Indo-Pacific where its economic and strategic interests including large EEZ interests extend from the Horn of Africa to beyond Polynesia.”
“France has always maintained a significant naval presence in the Indian Ocean headed by a 2-star Admiral called Alindien and was also the first country to appoint an observer at the IOR-IFC (Indian Ocean Region Information Fusion Centre) set up by India on the outskirts of the national capital,” Commodore Anil Jai Singh, Vice President of the Indian Maritime Foundation, tells Financial Express Online.
Indo-France Military Relations
“The strategic relationship between France and India, which has been on an upward trajectory since France supported India’s nuclear tests in 1998 when most of the Western world’s first reaction was to impose sanctions, has expanded considerably in the last two decades. Encouraging India to buy French weapons and equipment is part of the French Government’s thrust in India. The fact that India is a large defense market also helps. The success can be seen in selling the Project 75 submarines and the Rafale fighter aircraft, amongst others, through a G2G arrangement,” Commodore Anil Jai Singh says.
The former Indian Navy submariner says, “France is also pitching very strongly for the P75(I) submarine program and is projecting itself as an integral part of India’s ‘Atmnirbharta’ drive through any meaningful transfer of technology, showing this resolve is yet to be seen. France has also offered to share its civilian nuclear technology and has offered nuclear reactors to India.” “This deepening bilateral relationship also dovetails seamlessly into the larger French engagement with the region and strengthens the ‘arc of maritime democracies’ in their efforts to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and maintain a rules-based international order in the region, particularly in the maritime domain,” he says.
India-France Maritime Cooperation
Commodore Singh says, “The French naval ships also visit Kochi later in April. Following articulating its Indo-Pacific strategy, it is the first country to have appointed an Ambassador to the Indo-Pacific. It is also looking to deepen European engagement with this region. This was reflected in the Indo-Pacific strategies that followed from Euro-centric countries like Germany and The Netherlands, who also appreciate the importance of ensuring a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and the safety and security of their trade.”
The 18th edition of the Indo-French bilateral naval Ex Varuna is scheduled for the last week of April. Last year due to the global pandemic, Ex Varuna could not take place in its original format. This year the drill is taking place during the ongoing tensions between India and China. There will be more significant participation of air assets from both navies, interoperability, jointness, maritime security as the focus, carrier operations, and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training and air surveillance. Besides the three Kalvari class (Scorpene) and other ships, the air component of the exercise will witness dogfights between the Mig-29K fighters and Rafale-M, P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft, helicopters, and other assets will be part of the drill.
More about Ex Varuna
The Indo-French bilateral service exercise was initiated in 1983 and is the base of the strategic partnership between the two countries. And was christened ‘Varuna’ in 2001. And these war games between the two countries have fully grown in scope and complexity and are in line with the Joint Strategic Vision Cooperation within the Indian Ocean Region.
La Perouse
For the first time,e eitherNavy will participate in the French naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal early next month. According to the Indian Navy officials, the training is from April 5-7. According to sources, Quad member nations will be part of this drill – the US, Japan, and Australia.
Significance of the drills
The drills are taking place soon after the first-ever Leader’s Summit of the Quad and the visits of the US Secretary of Defence, Lloyd Austin, and the Defense Minister of South Korea, Mr. Suh Wook. Get live Stock Prices from the BSE, NSE, and US Market, and the latest NAV and portfolio of Mutual Funds, checkout the newest IPO News, Best Performing IPOs, calculate your tax by Using an income Tax Calculator and know mthe market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Financial Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest Biz news.