Indian Navy Marching Contingent, as part of Tri services contingent, arrived in France for participation in Bastille Day Parade at Parison 14 Jul 2023. The Navy team on parade will comprise of four officers and 64 sailors. The contingent will be led by Cdr Vrat Baghel. The officer is a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Warfare and has sailed on French Ship BCR Var during exercise Varuna. He will be followed by his deputies, Lt Cdr Disha Amrith, Lt Cdr Rajat Tripathi and Lt Cdr Jittin Lalitha Dharmaraj. To commemorate event, Indian Navy will also be represented by INS Chennai which will be deployed to France from 12 – 16 Jul 2023. The ship’s crew will represent India at Bastille Day celebrations at Brest, France. This year marks a quarter century of Indo-French Strategic partnership. The two countries enjoy deep ties in maritime domain which extend to their navies as well. Indigenous construction of Project 75 Scorpene class submarines by MDL in collaborationwith M/s Naval Group, France has not only enhanced Naval capability but has also paved the way for future programmes. The Bilateral exercise Varuna between two navies has matured into a complex exercise involving all domains of Naval power. It reflects growth of India – France strategic bilateral relationship. The exercise was initiated in 1993 and christened as ‘Varuna’ in 2001. 21st edition of Varuna was conducted in Jan 2023 in Arabian Sea.
