India, France Kick Off Over Two-Week-Long Air Exercise In Jodhpur

The Indian and French air forces are conducting an 18-day military exercise near Jodhpur, including many combat jets such as Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Sukhoi-30s, officials said on Friday.

The ‘Garuda VII’ exercise kicked off on 26 October and will end on 12 November.

According to officials, the French Air and Space Force (FASF) participated in the exercise with four Rafale fighter jets, one A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft and a group of 220 soldiers.

According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft, Rafales, Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Jaguar fighters, Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) and Mi-17 helicopters have been deployed in the exercise. 

Combat-enabled assets such as flight refuelling aircraft, AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) and AEW&C (Airborne Early Warning and Control) aircraft will also be part of the IAF contingent.

“This collaborative exercise will provide a platform for both countries to improve operational capacity and interoperability, as well as share best practices, it will also foster professional engagement, sharing of experiences and advancement of operational knowledge,” the IAF said in a statement.

The bilateral exercise is in its seventh year. The first, third and fifth editions were held in India in 2003, 2006, and 2014 respectively at Air Force bases Gwalior, Kalaikunda and Jodhpur.

France hosted the second, fourth and sixth tournaments in 2005, 2010 and 2019.

Military cooperation between India and France has grown significantly in recent years.

In March, the Indian and French navies conducted a five-day mega wargame in the Arabian Sea, comprising frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, fighter planes, and helicopters.

In April of last year, the Indian and French warships also conducted a massive exercise in the Arabian Sea.

The French Navy participated in the exercise with its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and its entire carrier strike group, indicating a growing convergence in naval links.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is holding the 29th Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Visakhapatnam from  26 to 30 October.

On 25 October, two Singapore Navy ships, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class Frigate) and RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived at Visakhapatnam to participate in the exercise.