India-France joint military exercise to start in Thiruvananthapuram on March 7

Indian and French armies will have a new joint military exercise starting Tuesday at Thiruvananthapuram, further consolidating the strategic partnership that exists between New Delhi and Paris since 1998.

The war drill FRINJEX-23 between the two countries will be conducted at Pangode Military Station, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on March 7-8th. The Indian contingent will comprise a company from Thiruvananthapuram based units while the French will be represented by the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.

The exercise would be aiming at enhancing interoperability, coordination and cooperation between both forces at tactical level, said an Indian Army spokesperson.

The scope of the exercise involve establishment and operationalisation of a joint command post to secure an envisaged area for undertaking joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, establishing an internally displaced population camp and moving of disaster relief material.

The two countries have a well-established naval wargame named Varuna that began in 1993 while the India-French joint air exercise Garuda too has matured with the seventh edition taking place in Jodhpur air station last November. There is also an established bilateral army exercise named Shakti between the two armies.

The 21st edition of Varuna took place on the Western Seaboard in January with the participation of nuclear-powered French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, frigates FS Forbin and Provence, support vessel FS Marne and maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique.

The Indian Navy was represented by destroyer INS Chennai, frigate INS Teg, maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and Dornier and MiG29K fighter aircraft that took off from the shore.

The sixth edition of Indo-France joint army exercise Ex Shakti 2021, occurred at the Military School of Draguignan, France in November 2021.