French Navy frigate pays goodwill visit to Mumbai, conducts drill with Indian warship

The visit culminated with an exercise at sea with a warship of the Indian Navys Western Fleet, it said.Over the decades, cooperation between India and France has grown exponentially in various defence-related fields.The current visit of FNS Aconit to Mumbai is a reflection of the growing cooperation between the two navies and their enhanced interoperability.

French Navy Ship Aconit, a La Fayette Class frigate, was on a goodwill visit to Mumbai from October 28 to November 2, and it participated in a military drill with an Indian warship, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The ship is under the command of Cdr Jean-Bertrand Guyon and is one of the five La Fayette Class frigates of the French Navy. The frigate had earlier visited Visakhapatnam in 2015.

Its Commanding Officer, Cdr Guyon, called on Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command, and interacted with him over issues of mutual interest.

''During the stay at Mumbai, the ship's crew had professional and social interactions with personnel of the Indian Navy. The visit culminated with an exercise at sea with a warship of the Indian Navy's Western Fleet,'' it said.

Over the decades, cooperation between India and France has grown exponentially in various defence-related fields.

''The current visit of FNS Aconit to Mumbai is a reflection of the growing cooperation between the two navies and their enhanced interoperability. With peace and stability in the region being of common interest, the two navies are committed to working together towards that goal,'' the ministry said.

French frigate Chevalier Paul was also in Mumbai in November last year.