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Indo-French joint naval exercise from Feb 23

Ranvir Nayar in Paris

With over 3,000 sailors, six ships, including a nuclear aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine, and 29 aircraft, the largest flotilla of the French Navy is headed for India for participating in the biggest ever war games with the Indian Navy.

Incidentally, this is the first time that a nuclear ship or a submarine of a western navy is being allowed into the Indian waters.

Code named Myrrhe, the exercise will be held off Bombay - the base of the Western Naval Command -- between February 23 and 28. The naval fleet - led by the nuclear aircraft carrier Foch -- and under the command of Rear Admiral Cluzel, will reach Bombay on February 23.

Besides Foch, the ships participating in the exercises include nuclear submarine Emeraude, Integrated Missile Launch Frigate Duquesne, anti-submarine Frigate Tourville and Oil Carrier Jules Verne. Along with the ships are 21 aircraft on board the aircraft carrier Foch, including 12 Super Entender and six Alize aircraft, and three helicopters of Dauphin and SuperFrelon type.

The flotilla has already left for Bombay and will cross Suez Canal on the way, calling at various ports in Djibouti, Abu Dhabi and Doha before reaching Bombay. On its way back, the flotilla will visit Madagascar, Reunion Islands and cross into South Atlantic Ocean, before returning home on April 30.

Sources say the joint exercises are extremely crucial and significant for both the countries as it opens a new chapter in bilateral defence relations and brings the two navies closer.

The exercises will also enable the officers of the two sides to exchange views about the various international and strategic issues and also about exploring ways and means for expanding cooperation and collaboration between the two forces. ``The joint exercises with India will also reinforce the strong bilateral relations,'' sources told rediff.com in Paris.

The joint exercises are just one of the crucial events on the calendar of bilateral defence cooperation.

In early February, the two countries will conduct strategic dialogue which will cover a wide range of global, regional and bilateral issues as well as look at the status of the defence cooperation. Later in the year is the meeting of the High Committee on Defence.

The two sides are also said to be in advanced stage of negotiations over the purchase by India of 10 Mirage 2000 aircraft.

The visit is also specially significant for the French as it marks the biggest ever effort mounted by the French Navy for conducting joint exercises so far off from France. ``This visit will significantly express the French presence in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans which are extremely strategic areas. This will also display to the world that the French Navy has the resources, manpower and operational capabilities of maintaining a task force for expression of strategic interests across the globe,'' says a source.

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