Why in News?

• India and France are all set to hold their largest-ever naval exercise ‘Varuna’ with aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and fighters early May as part of their expanding strategic partnership.

Highlights:

• The exercise that has been christened ‘Varuna’ will take place off Goa and Karwar from 1st May 2019.
• Conducting the Varuna exercise was reiterated in the Joint Statement made by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France, on the 10th of March 2018
• The two countries will be deploying their aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and FNS Charles de gaulle with their Mig-29K and Rafale-M naval fighter jets
• The Indian participation will also include the destroyer INS Mumbai, frigate INS Trikand with their integral helicopters, IN submarine Kalvari, P8-I aircrafts and Dornier Maritime Patrol aircraft.
• This comes after the successful operationalisation of the logistics support agreement between India and France under which Indian warships can access the French bases like Reunion Islands and in Djibouti
• Under the same pact, French anti-aircraft destroyer FNS Cassard had docked at the Mumbai naval port in January 2019
• This was second such logistics support agreement signed by India after the one signed by it with United States (US) in 2016