Indigenously Built Indian Naval Ships Rana, Sumedha Conduct Maritime Exercise With French Navy. WATCH

Surcouf, a French Navy La Fayette class frigate, visited Visakhapatnam from June 26 to 29 and took part in a range of exercises alongside Indian Navy ships.

Inadian Naval Ship, and French Navy Ship Surcouf.

Source : PIB

Indian Naval Ships Rana, a guided missile destroyer, and Sumedha, an indigenously built offshore patrol vessel, participated in a Maritime Partnership Exercise in the Bay of Bengal alongside French Navy Ship Surcouf on June 30, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Defence.

Surcouf, a French Navy La Fayette class frigate, visited Visakhapatnam from June 26 to 29 and took part in a range of exercises alongside Indian Navy ships. Professional and social meetings, sporting events, and cross-deck visits were among them.

#WATCH | Indian Naval Ships Rana, a guided missile destroyer, and Sumedha, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel undertook a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with French Navy Ship Surcouf in the Bay of Bengal on 30 June 2023. The French Navy’s La Fayette class frigate… pic.twitter.com/O7hHoIRWtg

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2023

After leaving Visakhapatnam, FS Surcouf participated in a variety of drills with IN Ships Rana and Sumedha, including tactical manoeuvres, replenishment at sea approaches, air defence against fighter aircraft, and cross deck helicopter operations. 

The MPX concluded with a customary goodbye steampast between the ships, emphasising the two fleets' longstanding alliance.

The visit of FS Surcouf to India represents strong navy-to-navy relations, interoperability, and bonding between the Indian and French navies.

Earlier this year, the French frigate La Fayette and the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Dixmude participated in an MPX with the guided missile frigate INS Sahyadri. 

On March 10th and 11th, the Indian Navy's indigenously built guided missile frigate, INS Sahyadri, engaged in a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) in the Arabian Sea alongside French Navy ships FS Dixmude, a Mistral Class Amphibious Assault Ship, and FS La Fayette, a La Fayette Class Frigate, news agency ANI reported.

INS Sahyadri is outfitted with cutting-edge weaponry and sensors, allowing her to detect and neutralise threats from the air, surface, and subsurface. The ship is part of the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet, stationed in Visakhapatnam, and is operated by FOCinC (East).