French Naval Ships Dixmude and Aconit arrive at Vizag

VISAKHAPATNAM: French Naval Ships Dixmude (Landing Platform Dock) and Aconit (Frigate) today arrived here on a week-long visit during which various operational and social interactions will be held with the Eastern Naval Command.

These ships are part of French amphibious task group 'Mission Jeanne d'Arc 2015' deployed on a mission from March to July.

The task group's itinerary has brought it to the Indian Ocean from where it will set sail to the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan.

Military operations and bilateral cooperation actions will be conducted during the mission, in which 146 cadets alongside the crew are taking part in full integration in the services.

This long-term deployment, involving multi-faceted operations, will enable the trainee officers to understand their future working environment better, a statement by the French Embassy said.

The Indian Navy said various operational and social interactions with Eastern Naval Command have been planned.

"These include amphibious demonstration, sharing of expertise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR), exchange of Non-Combatant Evacuation procedures, mutual ship visits, industry exhibition and sports fixtures," it said.