The Indian Navy will participate in a French naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal in April. The participating nations the exercise will also include the other Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) member countries — Japan, Australia, and the United States of America (USA).
Key Points
- It will be the first time that the Indian Navy will participate in the France-led war game ‘La Perouse’.
- Till now, India was not invited to the French naval exercise.
- The inclusion of India in the France-led joint naval drill is a significant step after the Malabar Exercise in November 2020. During the Malabar exercise, the navies of India, the US, and Japan got together with Australia as the new addition.
- The French exercise is scheduled to be held between April 5 and 7.
- This will be followed by another major naval exercise ‘Varuna’.
- Varuna is an annual naval exercise between India and France. This time it will also include the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- It will take place in the Western Indian Ocean in the last week of April.
Maritime Diplomacy of India
India’s maritime diplomacy includes naval exercises with friendly countries. This is being done keeping in mind China’s increasing influence in the Indian Ocean region. The inclusion of more navies in exercises is also a response to Chinese aggression in international waters and its increasing foray into the region.
In December 2020, the Indian and Vietnamese navies carried out a passage exercise in the South China Sea as part of maritime cooperation.
The Indian Navy also carried out war games with the navies of Singapore and Thailand in the Andaman Sea, soon after the Malabar Exercise.
As part of the Indian government’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ vision, the Indian Navy undertook joint exclusive economic zone surveillance with Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius, as well as coordinated patrols (CORPATs) with Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia.
AS of now, the Indian Navy has participated in 13 bilateral and multilateral exercises this year.
Last Modified: February 11, 2024