French and Indian navies started on-sea phase of the Varuna exercise.

The exercise Varuna started on May 01, off Goa and Karwar. This maritime exercise will be held jointly by the Indian Navy and the French Navy (Marine Nationale in French). As part of the event is present the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle. The Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was also scheduled to take part in the exercise but recently had to dock due to a fire that broke out on the warship. On May 09, Indian and French warships took to the seas off Goa to take part in the sea phase of the bilateral exercise.

Indian only aircraft carrier in service, INS Vikramaditya, ex-Admiral Gorshkov (Picture Source: Sevmash)

France and India actually hold their largest-ever naval exercise, which started on May 01, regrouping the French aircraft carrier, along with their respective destroyers, submarines, auxiliary ships and fighters. "It is expected to be a top-level naval exercise, with intensive dual carrier task group operations and anti-submarine warfare manoeuvres. India and France are also working to implement their action-oriented joint strategic vision for cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), which was finalised in March 2018" said a source.

The FNS Charles de Gaulle is accommodating the French Rafale-M naval fighter jets, along with E2C Hawkeye early-warning aircraft and AS-365 Dauphin helicopters.

For the Varuna exercise, apart from its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, France is dispatching some of its destroyers, including the FNS Forbin, the FNS Provence and the FNS Latouche Treville, a nuclear attack submarines, the FNS Amethyste, and the tanker FNS Marne. As for India, the Navy dispatches diesel-electric submarine INS Shankul, guided-missile destroyer INS Chennai, stealth frigate INS Tarkash and tanker INS Deepak, along with P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft and Dornier-228 planes.

According to an official statement released by the Indian Navy on May 08, "The two navies will conduct extensive evolution to further inter-operability and professional skills towards better maritime cooperation,". This sea phase will end on May 10.