Varuna Exercise

• 01 May 2019

Why is it in News?

The first part of the Indo-French joint naval exercise, Varuna 19.1, conducted off the Goa coast from 1st to 10th May 19.

About Varuna Exercise:

• The bilateral naval exercise initiated in 1983 and christened as ‘Varuna’ in 2001, form a vital part of the Indo-French strategic partnership.
• The Varuna exercise aims at developing interoperability between the two navies and fostering mutual cooperation by learning from each other’s best practices to conduct joint operations.
• The exercise underscores the shared interests and commitment of both nations in promoting maritime security.
• The exercise will be conducted in two phases. The harbour phase at Goa would include cross-visits, professional interactions and discussions and sports events. The sea phase would comprise various exercises across the spectrum of maritime operations.
• The second part, Varuna 19.2, is scheduled to be held at the end of May in Djibouti.

Source: PIB