INDIAN NAVY EXERCISES WITH FRENCH NAVY, OFF BRITTANY, DURING INDIAN NAVAL SHIPS' DEPLOYMENT IN EUROPE - 'VARUNA 2009'

 

New Delhi: 15 Jun 09; Jyaistha 25, 1930

 

For the last 11 years, India and France have continually strengthened their bilateral naval relation. for this purpose the two navies have conducted an annual bilateral exercise, called VARUNA. This exercise aims at enhancing interoperability between the two navies, with an ever increasing complexity. This year, for the first time VARUNA will occur outside Indian waters, off the coasts of Brittany from 27 June to 04 July as a part of the Indian Task Force’s deployment to Europe from May to Jul 2009.

 

The exercise, VARUNA 2009, will involve many assets from the two nations: on the Indian side, the Task Force will comprise the destroyer Delhi, the frigates Brahmaputra and Beas, and the replenishment ship Aditya and their integral helicopters. The French contribution will consist of assets placed under CECLANT’s command (the Admiral Commanding Atlantic Ocean Zone), notably the destroyer Primauguet with a helicopter, the frigate Lieutenant de Vaisseau Le Hanaff, the nuclear powered attack submarine Emeraude. Several French aircraft will also take part in the exercise, including maritime patrol aircraft and navy’s fighters.

 

VARUNA 2009 is a natural continuation of the former VARUNA exercises, during which France was deploying significant assets far from their home ports, such as the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and her naval group in 2006. This year it is India's turn to send an important task force to European waters. These deployments and the long lasting continuity in the exercises demonstrate the importance mutually given to naval partnerships between two nations

 

       The naval partnership between the two nations is presently based on a comprehensive defence agreement signed by the Indian Prime Minister and the French President in 2006. India and France both desire to strengthen their naval cooperation which has already proven to be solid and is not restricted to VARUNA series alone, as is evident from ongoing activities in the Indian Ocean, where the two navies of both sides are coordinating their efforts towards the suppression of piracy off Somalia.