INDIA. Mumbai: Vice Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, Joint Commander of the French Forces Deployed in the Indian Ocean (ALINDIEN), accompanied by a two-member delegation, visited Headquarters, Western Naval Command (HQWNC), at Mumbai on Wednesday.
ALINDIEN interacted with Vice Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. During the interaction, growing cooperation between the two navies on the maritime front and enhanced interoperability to bolster maritime security in the region were appreciated by both sides.
The interaction also highlighted the gains achieved through cooperation between the Indian and French Navies in strengthening the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) construct. Both sides agreed that there is an emergent need to enhance navy-to-navy cooperation in line with the strengthening relations between the two maritime nations, the official statement read.
Bilateral cooperation between India and France, especially in the sphere of maritime security, has been growing. The robustness of the naval partnership and cooperation is reflected in a steady improvement in interoperability through the conduct of regular exercises, long-range deployments by ships, and mutually beneficial interaction among high-level envoys.
ALINDIEN is the French Naval acronym for the admiral in charge of the maritime zone of the Indian Ocean and of the French forces there. Contre-amiral Didier Piaton has held the office since September 8, 2016.
ALINDIEN’s jurisdiction extends over the maritime zone of the Indian Ocean, dubbed “ZMOI”. It comprises the area bounded on its western part by the Red Sea and Africa and on its eastern part by the Philippines and Vietnam. The zone notably comprises such strategic areas as the Persian Gulf, Southern Africa, India, Australia, and Singapore. The La Reunion Zone and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands operate under a different hierarchy, Fr: Forces armées de la zone sud de l’océan Indiaen.
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