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India, France conduct naval wargames in Gulf of Aden
India has sent five major warships and a submarine for a wargame with the French Navy in the Gulf of Aden that is aimed at building joint capabilities for anti-terror operations and interdiction on the high seas. "This is the first time we are exercising with the French Navy far away from Indian waters and it is also the first time that our aircraft carrier INS Viraat is being used in manoeuvres with the French," Indian Navy spokesman Commander Vinay Garg told IANS. A platoon of Indian Army paratroopers has joined the Indian Navy's elite Marine Commandos - or Marcos - to train with French Special Forces for missions to interdict ships at sea, Garg said. The French forces taking part in the exercise - the seventh in the Indo-French series of wargames codenamed Varuna and the second such drill this year - are drawn from a detachment based at Djibouti, a former French colony. All previous exercises in the Varuna series have been held off the Indian coast. Four pilots from the Indian Air Force (IAF) are also part of the Indian forces taking part in the exercise, and will interact with their French counterparts flying Mirage 2000 jets from the base at Djibouti. "The Indian and French forces interacted for three days at harbour, followed by the three-day exercise in the Gulf of Aden," Garg said. The drills at sea - including air defence exercises, advanced anti-submarine warfare, dissimilar air combat between India's Sea Harriers jets and French Mirage-2000 fighters, and maritime interdiction and boarding operations - will end Thursday. "The Indo-French joint exercises have grown in scope and complexity over the years and facilitated mutual learning and interoperability," Garg said. The Indian detachment, commanded by Rear Admiral R.F. Contractor, flag officer commanding of the Western Fleet, comprises the Viraat, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, guided missile frigates INS Talwar and INS Godavari and tanker INS Aditya. The French warships taking part in the exercise are guided missile frigate La Fayette, anti-submarine corvette Jacoubet, nuclear submarine Perle, and shore-based Atlantique patrol aircraft and Mirage-2000 jets. In April 2004, the French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle was part of a task force that conducted a wargame in Indian waters. "The Indian Navy lays great emphasis on enhancing bilateral ties and improving interoperability with developed navies through professional and operational interaction," Garg said. Ship visits build "bridges of friendship" and such exercises also provide India an opportunity to showcase its shipbuilding capabilities through indigenously built warships like Mysore and Godavari, he said. Posted by: john 2005-11-23 |
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