Panaji, Sep 4 (PTI) French Navy’s multi-mission frigate ‘Languedoc’ completed a scheduled operational stop at the port of Mormugao in Goa on Friday after a four-day visit aimed at strengthening maritime cooperation between India and France, the French Embassy said.
The FREMM-class frigate, deployed on a mission in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, is undertaking surveillance, situation assessment and protection duties in the maritime region, the embassy said in a press release.
The vessel was in Goa from August 31 to September 4. The Indian Navy welcomed the vessel and its crew, with an official lunch attended by Commodore L M Fernandes, Deputy Commander of the Goa Naval Area, and Agnes Silva, Deputy Consul of France in Mumbai, it said.
The port call also included a visit by a French-speaking class from the Navy Children School in Goa, giving the students an opportunity to see life aboard a modern French combat vessel, the embassy said.
French and Indian sailors also exchanged expertise in areas including logistics of deployed units, anti-drone warfare and underwater diving, it said.
The visit marks the third visit to India by a French naval vessel this year and underlines France’s continued naval presence and commitment to maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, the embassy said.
The two navies are scheduled to meet again later this month in the Mediterranean Sea near Toulon for VARUNA 2026, the annual Indo-French bilateral naval exercise, it added. PTI RPS KRK
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