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Deployed in the Indian Ocean as part of Mission Clemenceau 25, the French carrier strike group (CSG), comprising the aircraft carrier FNS Charles De Gaulle, its embarked air fleet and its escort vessels (frigates and supply ships), will be making stopovers at Goa and Kochi from January 4, a statement by the French Embassy in India said.
Currently, the CSG is deployed in the Indian Ocean, where it is conducting joint training sessions with its regional partners and allies, notably India, before moving on to the Indonesian zone for Exercise La Perouse, and then to the Pacific Ocean for Exercise Pacific Steller, the statement said. India has been France's foremost strategic partner since 1998, and the excellent Indo-French military cooperation is characterized by numerous bilateral exercises such as Shakti on land, Varuna at sea and Garuda in air. India also plays host for numerous operational stopovers made by French Navy vessels, accounting for 16 port calls since 2022, the statement added. During Mission Clemenceau 25, the Charles de Gaulle CSG and Indian navy ships will take part in the 42nd annual Varuna bilateral exercise. The aim of this aero-naval training is to develop interoperability between our two navies, and to prepare crews to deal with a multi-milieu threat (air, surface, submarine) as part of a coalition. As resident nations of the Indian Ocean, France and India regularly cooperate to contribute to maritime safety in the region. Since 2008, France has been a member of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), which was initiated by India, and brings together 25 navies from countries of the Indian Ocean. The aim of this forum is to increase collective effectiveness in tackling a range of maritime issues, including illegal trafficking, illegal fishing, search and rescue at sea, and pollution. France took over the presidency of this forum from 2021 to 2023, as per the statement. In the Indian Ocean, France is actively involved in a number of missions: the European ATALANTA operation to combat piracy and drug trafficking, the international naval coalition Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 to combat illicit trafficking, and more recently the European Union's ASPIDES operation to ensure maritime safety and freedom of navigation from Suez to Hormuz, as per the statement. (ANI)
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