
Militaries of India, France hold joint drills
joint operational preparedness
to deal with security challenges.
About 50 armoured and tactical vehicles and fighter jets were deployed in the Indo-French army
exercise Shakti
that was held from June 18 to July 1.
The exercise involved more than 500 legionnaires and military personnel from various units of the
French Army
, the Foreign Legion, as well as the French Air and Space Force, and the French Navy, according to a French readout.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Moose Approaches Girl At Bus Stop In West Bengal - Watch What Happens
Happy in Shape
Undo
The Indian contingent of 90 personnel primarily comprises a battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles besides personnel from other arms and services.
The joint drills were held in Aveyron in Monclar district, and in Herault.
Live Events
Exercise Shakti was a vital opportunity for Indian and French military personnel to boost joint operational preparedness for facing the toughest combat situations in a sub-conventional environment, the readout issued by the French embassy said.
"Serving as an effective platform for exchanging best practices in tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPS), exercise Shakti will pave the way for deeper cooperation and mutual respect between the French and the Indian armed forces as well as significantly reinforcing the Indo-French defence partnership," it added.
The participation of legionnaires in the exercise is seen as significant.
Created in 1831 and the
French Foreign Legion
is engaged in all major operations carried out by the French Army. The elite military unit is open to foreigners who want to serve in the French Army.
Indo-French defence exercises such as Exercise Garuda between the air forces, exercise Varuna between the navies and exercise Shakti between the armies, are held regularly and have grown in scope and complexity over the years.
They attest to the shared commitment of both nations towards peace, stability, and global security, the embassy noted.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump talks sanctions a day after largest Russian strike on Ukraine
KYIV: US President Donald Trump said Russia just wanted to "keep killing people" and hinted at sanctions after Moscow launched its largest ever drone and missile attack on Ukraine in the three-year-old war. Trump said Friday he was "very unhappy" about his telephone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying: "He wants to go all the way, just keep killing people, it's no good". Trump said he and Putin talked about sanctions "a lot", adding: "He understands that it may be coming". Hours-long Russian bombardments sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country and came after the call between Trump and Putin, which ended without a breakthrough. Ukraine said it struck a Russian air base on Saturday. Ukraine's military General Staff said Ukrainian forces had struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, describing it as the home base of Russia's Su-34, Su-35S and Su-30SM fighter jets. Writing on Facebook, the General Staff said it hit a depot containing glide bombs, a training aircraft and "possibly other aircraft." Russian officials did not immediately comment on the attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Such attacks on Russian air bases aim to dent Russia's military capability and demonstrate Ukraine's capability to hit high-value targets in Russia. Last month, Ukraine said it destroyed over 40 Russian planes stationed at airfields deep in Russia's territory in a surprise drone attack. Russia fired 322 drones and decoys into Ukraine overnight into Saturday, Ukraine's air force said. Of these, 157 were shot down and 135 were lost, likely having been electronically jammed. According to the air force, Ukraine's western Khmelnytskyi region was the main target of the attack. Now, Trump says Ukraine will need Patriot missiles US President Donald Trump said Ukraine would need Patriot missiles for its defenses, after speaking with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he had a good call with Zelensky, repeating that he was "very unhappy" about his call with Putin a day earlier, given what he called the Russian leader's refusal to work on a ceasefire. Asked whether the US would agree to supply more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, as requested by Zelensky, Trump said: "They're going to need them for defense... They're going to need something because they're being hit pretty hard." Trump touted the efficacy of the Patriot missiles, calling the weapon "pretty amazing." The US has paused some shipments of military aid to Ukraine, including crucial air defense missiles.


Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Desperate bid to control BMC & loot Mumbai: BJP
Pune/Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday took a swipe at the Thackerays' rally and said instead of a triumphant rally for the Marathi language, it turned out to be a hollow speech, resembling the wailing of "Rudali" (woman professional mourner). "I was told it would be a victory speech, but there was one Rudali speech also. Instead of speaking about the Marathi language, it was Rudali mentioning how their govt was pulled down. There was no victory speech in Marathi," Fadnavis said, without taking any names, after reaching Pandharpur on the eve of Ashadhi Ekadashi. He will lead a special puja at the Vitthal Rakhumai temple with his wife Amruta, on behalf of state govt, on Sunday. While the CM was in Pandharpur, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in his speech at the victory rally in Worli with Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray , sarcastically said his uncle and Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray could not unite him and Uddhav, but Fadnavis' governance brought them together after 18 years. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Reacting to Raj's statement, Fadnavis said, "I thank Raj Thackeray for giving me credit for bringing two cousins together. I must be getting all the blessings from the late Balasaheb Thackeray." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning... Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Click Here Undo Fadnavis criticised Uddhav's party, saying it failed to deliver for Mumbai despite 25 years in power in BMC. "They could not do any notable work. But we changed the face of Mumbai under the leadership of PM Modi at the Centre. Under their (Uddhav's) leadership, Marathi manoos had to leave Mumbai. But when we formed govt, we ensured that the Marathi manoos of BDD chawl, Patra chawl and Abhyuday Nagar got rehabilitated at the same place. Yeah public hai, sab janti hai (The public knows everything)," the CM said. "Be it Marathi or non-Marathi people of Mumbai, they all are with us. We are proud Marathis, but at the same time, we are proud Hindus too. Our Hindutva takes everybody along," Fadnavis added. BJP Mumbai president and minister Ashish Shelar stated on X, "This was not for the language.. but a public appeal for the elections! With the municipal elections approaching, the panicked Uddhav Sena, scared of BJP, now remembers brotherhood ties… This is a desperate struggle to gain power in the municipality and to loot Mumbai again."


Economic Times
24 minutes ago
- Economic Times
BRICS' declaration likely to include Pahalgam attack
New Delhi: The BRICS summit leaders' declaration on July 7 under Brazil's presidency could include references to the Pahalgam attack and global terror infrastructure, people aware of the development told ET. This will be a boost for India, which is trying to rally the international community toward joint action on terrorism. ET has learnt that after intense negotiations in the run-up to the summit, the BRICS grouping — Brazil, Russia, India, Russia, China, South Africa, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia — has agreed to include most of India's references to the Pahalgam terror attack in the leaders' statement. An official of one of the BRICS member states, who did not wish to be named, said that the group has always found a mechanism to arrive at a consensus and produce a common language or approach on critical issues like terrorism. Another official said BRICS is working on a formulation that conveys its stance on international the recent defence ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), only one country blocked any reference to the Kashmir terror attack, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had remarked, without naming Pakistan. India did not sign the joint statement and, therefore, the document could not be Minister Narendra Modi, who will reach Rio de Janeiro for the BRICS summit on July 5 — his third stop in the five-nation tour — will emphasise the need for a strong anti-terror formulation by the BRICS in his interventions at the summit, ET has learnt. India will take over the BRICS presidency from Brazil after the Rio Summit. In June, the parliaments of BRICS nations had strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and agreed to cooperate on a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had led the Indian delegation to the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in Brasilia on June 4-5. Besides the Pahalgam terror attack, India's leadership in the BRICS Startup Forum is also likely to be adopted by the leaders. The BRICS Startup Forum aims to promote cross-border collaboration among the member nations through entrepreneurial activities. The BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub was launched on January 31 this year as part of the Startup Forum. The BRICS Startup Knowledge Hub (microsite) is the first-ever BRICS Startup Knowledge Repository, which lays the foundation for multilateral cooperation and engagement among the BRICS countries to develop startup ecosystems. The Knowledge Hub will serve as a one-stop gateway to the BRICS startup ecosystem, offering valuable insights into the entrepreneurial landscapes of the member countries. Besides the BRICS summit, Modi will make a state visit to Brazil, and the two nations are expected to conclude several pacts, including in the areas of defence and is likely to meet other BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including from South Africa, Indonesia, the UAE, Ethiopia and possibly Iran, besides the BRICS partner countries.