India -France joint naval exercise – Varuna 2025 concludes

The Indian Navy and the French Navy came together in the India-France Joint Naval Exercise Varuna 2025, which was held from 19 to 22 March 2025, further strengthened their long-standing partnership.

In this version, exercises were conducted in various domains, whose purpose was to further improve strategic and operational efficiency in complex conditions. One of the major exercises was the air defense exercise, which included the French Navy’s Rafael-M and the Indian Navy’s MIG-29K aircraft. In these exercises, the ability of the two armies units jointly tested in combating air threats.

In the Anti-Saberine Warfare (ASW) exercise, the Indian submarine and the Anti-Saberine Frigates of the two navies practiced to enhance efficiency on the position and strategies under the sea.

In the superficial war operations, complex coordinated operations and fictional encounters were conducted, which display the combined warfare of the two navies. The practice of filling fuel in the sea proved the logistical interoperability required for mutual support and continuous operation through two flight tankers.

This version saw more improvements in operational coordination between the two navies than before. The exercise enhanced the capacity of joint operations and strengthened the shared commitment of the two countries, which is in the rules-based compliance of marine orders and maintaining stability in the Hind-Pacific region.

The practice provided the valuable operating experience required to deal with contemporary maritime security challenges. The excellent practices were exchanged in practice, increasing the ability to understand each other’s operations principles and coordinate in the complex maritime environment of the two navies.

Exercise VARUNA has been an important pillar of India-France Defence relations since its inception, with both countries recognizing the importance of maritime security and collaborative Defence efforts. India and France are committed to the security of sea lanes and addressing shared maritime security challenges.