After stopovers at Goa and Kochi on the west coast of India, the entire French Carrier Strike Group (CSG), centered on the aircraft carrier FNS Charles de Gaulle, departed on 9 January 2025 for the next phase of Mission Clemenceau 25 in the Indian Ocean. It set course for the Indonesian Arc, where it would conduct exercises ‘La Perouse’.
Hours after departure, the CSG carried out cooperation activities with the Indian Navy at sea and in the air. The French CSG destroyer conducted a joint navigation exercise with the Indian warship INS Mormugao, during which both the ships practiced tactical evolution manoeuvres. According to the statement, both the ships also deployed their respective helicopters to conduct cross-deck manoeuvres.
Fleet replenishment tanker FNS Jacques Chevalier refuels at INS Mormugao
Following the first drill, the fleet replenishment tanker FNS Jacques Chevalier refueled the INS Mormugao frigate at sea. At the same time, Indian Sukhoi and Jaguar fighter jets flew sorties with Rafale Marines from the French Navy’s air fleet for joint anti-aircraft exercises.
Sukhoi, SEPECAT Jaguar and French Rafale in action
On 10 January, an Atlantic 2 maritime patrol aircraft made a logistics stopover in India before heading to Indonesia, where it joined deployed French forces. Thanks to the privileged relations between France and India, the stopover of the in-transit Atlantic 2 in Indian territory allowed the CSG to be deployed far from its base and maintain its operations at sea.
The activities demonstrated interoperability between the two navies. The joint exercise came ahead of the 42nd edition of the bilateral naval exercise, Varuna, which France and India have been conducting since 1983. The CSG will participate in this annual bilateral exercise when it returns to the Indian Ocean under Mission Clemenceau 25. Deploy all your assets with your Indian partner.
For 27 years, France and India have been united by a strategic partnership
For 27 years, France and India have been united by a strategic partnership aimed at developing bilateral cooperation between our two countries. In concrete terms, it involves a number of exercises, whether on land (Shakti), in the air (Garuda), or in the sea (Varuna). The French Embassy said India regularly supports French Navy ships by allowing them multiple stopovers (16 stopovers from 2022) for the rest of the ships and crew.
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