Two warships of the French Navy, amphibious helicopter provider FS DIXMUDE, and the frigate LA FAYETTE are visiting Kochi between March 6 and 10 on the event of India and France celebrating the twenty fifth anniversary of their strategic partnership.
Nearly 800 sailors and troopers, together with 160 officer cadets, in addition to an Army embarked tactical group (GTE) are launched into the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Dixmude and the frigate LaFayette as half of the annual ‘Jeanne d’Arc mission’, a long-duration deployment to present ‘at-sea’ coaching to officer cadets.
The mission additionally includes strengthening synergies with the Indian Navy via official talks and pleasant sporting actions, in accordance to a launch from the Consulate General of France in Pondicherry.
The LHD is a multirole vessel succesful of deploying fight and transport helicopters in addition to touchdown craft, in addition to offering catastrophe aid and help. The vessel can even work as a medical facility equal to a “French hospital for a city of 30,000 inhabitants”.
“The stopover in India is part of the Franco-Indian strategy for the stability of the Indo-Pacific zone, which is essential for international security. This area, which includes three oceans and 60% of the world’s population, is subject to various types of threats and tensions, ranging from territorial claims to natural disasters due to climate change, through illicit trafficking and illegal fishing. France, through its status as a development partner of ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and a member of IONS [Indian Ocean Naval Symposium], shares with India its desire to guarantee respect for international law, to contribute to the stability and security of the region, and to lend assistance to populations in distress,” the discharge stated.
