Today, January 16, the Western Seaboard saw the start of the 21st iteration of Exercise Varuna, a bilateral naval exercise between France and India. Although the two navies’ bilateral exercise was first conducted in 1993, it was given the name “VARUNA” in 2001 and has since come to symbolise the strategic bilateral cooperation between France and India.
The indigenous INS Chennai guided missile stealth destroyer, the INS Teg guided missile frigate, the P-8I and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, the integrated helicopters, and the MiG29K fighter aircraft will also take part in this edition. The aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, the frigates FS Forbin and Provence, the support vessel FS Marne, and the maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique will serve as the French Navy’s representatives. The drill, which will take place over five days from January 16 to 20, 2023, will feature tactical manoeuvres, surface firings, underway resupply, and other marine activities. Units of both fleets will work to improve their interoperability to conduct multi-discipline operations in the marine domain, perfect their warfighting abilities in the maritime theatre, and show off their capacity as an integrated force to advance peace and security and stability in the region.
This exercise offers a chance to share best practises since it has expanded in breadth and complexity over time. The exercise highlights the shared commitment of both nations to security, safety, and freedom of the global maritime commons by facilitating operational level interaction between the two fleets to develop mutual cooperation for good order at sea.
