IAF Chief holds talks with French Air Force Chief - Economic Times

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari connected Monday held wide-ranging talks with his French counterpart Gen Stephane Mille focusing connected ways to boost bilateral subject practice successful the backdrop of assorted geopolitical developments.

The top-ranking French subject authoritative is connected a sojourn to India.

"General Stephane Mille, Chief of Staff of the French Air & Space Force called connected Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, #CAS astatine Air HQ, New Delhi today. The 2 Chiefs discussed ways & means to heighten bilateral ties & fortify practice successful areas of communal interest," the Indian Air Force (IAF) tweeted.

It is learnt that the wide concern successful the Indo-Pacific arsenic good arsenic the Indian Ocean Region figured successful the talks betwixt Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari and Gen Mille.

The sojourn by Gen Mile came amid an 18-day subject workout betwixt the Indian and French aerial forces successful Jodhpur.

The 'Garuda VII' exercise, involving a important fig of combat jets specified arsenic Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar and Sukhoi-30s, began connected October 26 and volition culminate connected November 12.

The French subject authoritative besides met Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande.

"General Manoj Pande #COAS interacted with General Stephane Mille, Chief of Staff, French Air and Space Force & discussed aspects of #DefenceCooperation betwixt some the defence forces," the Army tweeted.

Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral SN Ghormade besides interacted with Gen Mille with a absorption connected bilateral operational engagement and mitigation of information concerns successful the Indian Ocean region, according to the Navy.

The subject practice betwixt India and France has witnessed a large enlargement successful the past fewer years.

In August, a French Air and Space Force contingent, including 3 Rafale jets, made a strategically important stopover astatine the IAF's Sulur basal successful Tamil Nadu arsenic portion of a mega subject cognition it carried retired successful the Pacific Ocean.

In March, the Indian and French navies carried retired a five-day mega wargame successful the Arabian Sea, involving frontline ships, submarines, maritime patrol aircraft, combatant craft and helicopters.

The Indian and French navies successful April past twelvemonth excessively carried retired a mega wargame successful the Arabian Sea.

The French Navy deployed its nuclear-powered craft bearer Charles de Gaulle, and its full bearer onslaught radical successful that exercise, reflecting increasing congruence successful naval ties.

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