The Indian Navy’s P-8I aircraft has made its first European deployment, landing in France to participate in the ‘Varuna’ bilateral exercise alongside the French Navy. This marks 63 years since the Alizé aircraft flew from the previous INS Vikrant at Hyères airbase.
As stated by an official announcement from the Indian Navy, the P-8I landed at Airbase 125 Istres-Le Tubé, its inaugural deployment in Europe. The aircraft will be involved in ‘Exercise Varuna’ with the French Navy, according to the statement.
🇮🇳🤝🇫🇷 Soaring High in Indo-French Cooperation!#IndianNavy‘s P-8I aircraft touched down at Air Base 125 Istres-Le Tubé, marking its #firstever deployment in Europe for the 22nd edition of Exercise #Varuna with the #FrenchNavy.
This deployment comes 63 years after the Indian… pic.twitter.com/ctcyqhiYTZ— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) September 2, 2024
After arriving in Toulon, the INS Tabar will participate in the upcoming bilateral military exercise. The navy has announced that the 2024 edition of the ‘Varuna’ naval exercise between the two countries will take place from September 2 to 4 in the Mediterranean Sea. The exercises will focus on enhancing synergy and interoperability between the two navies.
The Indian Navy’s P-8I aircraft has landed at Air Base 125 Istres-Le Tubé, making its debut deployment in Europe for Exercise Varuna’s 22nd edition alongside the French Navy. This marks 63 years since the last time an Indian Naval Alizé aircraft flew from Hyères Airbase while operating from INS Vikrant. The navy noted that this advanced tactical exercise emphasizes the growing synergy and mutual respect between our navies on social media platform X.
Since its inception in 1993, the bilateral naval exercise known as ‘Varuna’ has played a significant role in strengthening the strategic partnership between India and France. With each passing year, this military drill has evolved in terms of scale and intricacy, serving as a valuable platform for the sharing and adoption of best practices between our two navies.
