Taking military ties between the French and Indian Air Forces to new heights, a French Air and Space Force contingent, including three Rafale jets, was hosted for a technical stopover at Air Force Station Sulur this Wednesday and Thursday.
The French contingent comprised three Rafale jets and a support aircraft that was on a long-distance deployment from metropolitan France to the Pacific Ocean.
Landing at Air Force Station Sulur on the evening of August 10, it flew out in the early hours of Thursday after refueling, en route to New Caledonia.
The French Air and Space Force is carrying out a major long-range mission in the Indo-Pacific, code-named Pegase 22, from August 10 to September 18.
The first stage of this mission aimed at demonstrating France's capacity for long-distance air power projection by deploying an Air Force contingent from metropolitan France to the French territory of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean in less than 72 hours (August 10-12).
To achieve this unprecedented 16,600-km deployment, the French Air Force contingent made a technical stopover in India, at Air Force Station Sulur.
The operation demonstrated a high level of mutual trust and interoperability between the French and Indian Air Forces, which has been further boosted by the fact that both Air Forces now fly Rafale jets. It also illustrated the concrete implementation of the reciprocal logistics support agreement signed by France and India in 2018.
"France is a resident power of the Indo-Pacific, and this ambitious long-distance air power projection demonstrates our commitment to the region and our partners. It is only natural that to carry out this mission, we rely on India, our foremost strategic partner in Asia. My heartfelt thanks to the Indian Air Force for welcoming the French contingent," said Ambassador of France to India, Emmanuel Lenain while lauding the IAF's role in this successful operation.
In the following stages of Mission Pegase 22, the French Air Force contingent will take part in the 'Pitch Black' air exercise taking place in Australia from August 17 to September 10. The Indian Air Force will also participate in this multilateral drill, along with Australia, Japan, the United States, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.
Mission Pegase 22 is a powerful demonstration of France’s capacity for quick deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The mission is also proof that the security situation in Europe has not diminished the French and European commitment in the Indo-Pacific. In this respect, it also aims to strengthen ties with key strategic partners, such as India, and underline France’s support for security and stability in the region.
Korean Air Force ferry flights parked at Kolkata airport (Image courtesy: Twitter/@aaikolairport)
Meanwhile, after participating in one of the largest aerospace exhibitions held in Europe, as many as nine striking Korean Air Force ferry flights (Aircraft type: T50B) also landed at Kolkata airport for refueling and crew rest on August 9.
