Home Global News Indo-French Joint Naval Exercise ‘Varuna’ Begins Off Goa Coast

Indo-French Joint Naval Exercise ‘Varuna’ Begins Off Goa Coast

Varuna
Indo_French joint Naval Exercise
Varuna
Indo_French joint Naval Exercise

The 17th edition of Indo-French joint naval exercise ‘Varuna’ commenced with the first phase held off the Goa coast. The second phase will take place off Djibouti coast near the Horn of Africa.

The naval forces of India and France are holding anti-submarine warfare games, called Varuna 19. The exercise will be conducted in two phases. The first part has commenced off the Goa coast on May 1 and will continue till May 10. While the second phase will take place in Djibouti at the end of May.

The first phase will see the participation of INS Vikramaditya and French carriers FNS Charles de Gaulle. Besides, two air wings, comprising Mi-29Ks and Rafale-M, will perform joint drills. France has sent two destroyers, FNS Forbin and FNS Provence, and the frigate FNS Latouche-Treville. The French naval army has included tanker FNS Marne and a nuclear submarine too.

Besides France, India has fielded destroyer INS Mumbai and stealth frigate INS Tarkash. The country has also involved Shishumar-class submarine INS Shankul and fleet tanker INS Deepak.

The harbour phase at Goa has cross-visits, professional interactions and discussions, and sports events. The sea phase would include various exercises across the spectrum of maritime operations, the Indian Navy stated.

The Indian Navy has sought access to the French base in Djibouti for refit and refuelling. However, the clearance from Djibouti is required for the Indian ships as it is a sovereign country.

Varuna naval exercise, which began in 1983, forms a crucial part of the Indo-French strategic partnership. “The exercise underscores shared interests and commitment of both the nations in promoting maritime security,” ANI quoted a statement. Recently, Indian Navy has focused more in submarine hunting in its military cooperation with major countries.