Manish Shukla
In a significant display of international cooperation, a contingent from the French Air and Space Force will join India’s first multilateral air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, scheduled to begin on August 6, 2024, at Air Force Station Sulur in Tamil Nadu. The French delegation will comprise three Rafale fighter jets, one Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, and one A400M, accompanied by 160 Air Force personnel.
Tarang Shakti-2024 will also see participation from three other nations, including Germany and Spain, which have been partners in the Pacific Skies deployment from Alaska to India. This exercise marks a significant milestone in India’s efforts to strengthen its military ties with key international partners.
The Ambassador of France to India, Thierry Mathou, said: “As India’s trusted strategic partner, France is proud to participate in India’s first-ever multilateral air exercise and contribute to making it a success. Our contingent joins India as part of an extended deployment in the Indo-Pacific, which reflects France’s commitment as a resident power of the region. I also wish to highlight the European dimension of Tarang Shakti with EU Member States Germany and Spain participating, too. France is a strong supporter of Europe’s role as an active stakeholder of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”
The French contingent’s participation is part of its 2-month-long mission across the Indo-Pacific region, titled “PEGASE 24”, which commenced at the end of June and will conclude on August 15. The mission aims to demonstrate France’s ability to protect its sovereignty in the region, promote multilateralism, and enhance interoperability with key partners like India.
To mark the conclusion of Tarang Shakti and France’s PEGASE 24 deployment, France’s Chief of Air Staff, General Stéphane Mille, will pay an official visit to India on August 12-14. He will attend the closing ceremony of the exercise at AFS Sulur, meet his counterpart and key officials in Delhi, and speak at the National Defence College.
The French and Indian Armed Forces maintain an intense schedule of exercises that go back decades, illustrating the trust underpinning the France-India strategic partnership. The exercises include VARUNA Navy exercises, GARUDA Air exercises, and SHAKTI Army exercises, which have been ongoing since 1983.
France and India have also participated in each other’s multilateral exercises, such as the France-led La Pérouse naval drill in 2022 and ORION mega-exercise in 2023. On January 26, 2024, President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed satisfaction with the increasing complexity and interoperability of India-France joint defence exercises across air, sea, and land and agreed to consider a distinct joint tri-services exercise.
Military cooperation between France and India has been particularly intense since the beginning of 2024. A major joint army exercise, SHAKTI, took place in Meghalaya in May, the French Navy took part in the “Milan” multinational exercise in February in the Bay of Bengal, and the first-ever India-France-UAE air trilateral exercise was held in January off the coast of Mumbai. CDS General Anil Chauhan made his first official visit to France in April, while the French chiefs of Army Staff and Naval Staff visited India. The French and Indian navies are also gearing up for their bilateral VARUNA drills, slated later in the year.