India and France to conduct joint surveillance of South-West Indian Ocean

After the successful completion of India-France Air Force exercise over Rajasthan sector, New Delhi and Paris will further intensify their strategic engagement with Indian Navy’s Boeing P 8 I and French Navy’s Falcon 50 conducting joint surveillance and ocean mapping of the Mozambique Channel, Mauritius and South-West Indian Ocean from November 9-11.

The joint surveillance will go beyond ocean bed mapping with both the strategic allies committed to combat piracy, drug trafficking, arms smuggling and presence of extraneous powers on the eastern seaboard of Africa as part of maritime security cooperation.

While Chinese surveillance, ballistic missile tracking ship Yuan Wang 6 is presently located around 90 degree East Ridge of the Indian Ocean south of Indonesia, the Indian and French surveillance aircraft will be conducting the ocean bed mapping and area patrol around French Reunion Islands for the second time this year. The first time the joint surveillance was held on the eastern board of Africa was in March 2022.

Keeping up with the strategic bilateral momentum between two allies, French Defence Minister Sebastian Lecornu is coming to India for two days at the end of this month from November 28 to hold talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top leadership of the Modi government.

Given the importance that Prime Minister Narendra Modi government accords to France with equal commitment from French President Emmanuel Macron, Minister Lecornu will meet the PM, External Affairs Minister and the National Security Advisor.

It is learnt that Emmanuel Bonne, diplomatic advisor to French President Macron, is also coming to India in the first week of January 2023 to hold talks with NSA Ajit Doval for strategic dialogue meeting.

The two countries have very close defence ties with France committed to India for jointly developing aircraft engines, aircraft, submarines, and missiles under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” route with Indian private sector participation. Not only is France ready to joint develop and manufacture higher thrust aircraft engines with Safran as lead partner, it is also ready to help India in joint design, development and manufacture of long range submarines and missiles.

India and France are on the same page when it comes to religious fundamentalism and terrorism with Paris totally opposed to Pakistan targeting India through fifth columnists.

The two countries closely coordinate along with US in the UN Security Council and have time and again listed Pakistan based terrorists for global designation by the 1267 Committee. It is a matter of deep concern to both the countries that Pakistan uses China to veto each such move in the 1267 sanction committee.