The navies of India and France concluded their second joint patrolling in the South-Western Indian Ocean last week, while an Australian P-8 maritime patrol aircraft is expected in India next month on a reciprocal visit, underscoring India’s continued focus on expanding maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
Diplomatic sources told The Hindu that during the five days from May 9 to 13, an Indian Navy P-8I aircraft was deployed from the French island of La Reunion to carry out “joint surveillance and patrolling operations” with the French Navy in the South-Western Indian Ocean.
Two French Floréal-class surveillance frigates, the Floréal and the Nivôse, took part in the deployment, with focus on anti-smuggling, a diplomatic source said. “In order to increase the level of interoperability, French sailors were taken onboard the P-8I,” the source said.
