A contingent of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has arrived in recent hours at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France to take part in the bilateral air exercise Garuda 25, together with the French Air and Space Force. The activities are scheduled to take place between 16 and 25 November, in a simulated combat environment aimed at strengthening cooperation and interoperability between both forces.
According to information released by IAF officials, India’s Su-30MKI fighter-bombers and France’s Rafales will take part in a series of combined air-to-air and air-to-surface missions, as well as close air support operations and aerial refueling. “Exercise Garuda seeks to enhance interoperability, promote the exchange of best practices, and reinforce defense cooperation between both air forces,” the institution stated.
Following the information released in statements from both countries, this new deployment consolidates two decades of bilateral cooperation in the air domain. Since its first edition in 2003, Garuda has become the principal air exercise between India and France, held alternately in both countries. In its previous 2022 edition, Garuda VII, conducted at Jodhpur Air Base, LCA Tejas aircraft and LCH Prachand attack helicopters participated for the first time, marking a milestone in the international projection of defense systems manufactured by India’s domestic industry.
At that time, the Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari, and the Chief of the French Air and Space Force, General Stéphane Mille, conducted joint flights aboard a Rafale and a Su-30MKI fighter-bomber as a sign of the close relationship between both forces. The exercise also featured the participation of Rafale, Jaguar, Su-30MKI fighters, A330 MRTT tankers, as well as other support assets such as AEW&C early-warning aircraft and Garud special forces personnel.
For the 2025 edition, the Indian Air Force will deploy an air group consisting of Su-30MKI fighter-bombers, support aircraft, and specialized technical personnel. For its part, the French Air and Space Force is participating with Rafale fighters, tanker aircraft, and command-and-control assets, consolidating cooperation that is complemented by the Indian Navy’s Varuna exercises and the Army’s Shakti exercise series.
In the words of an IAF official, “Garuda represents a unique opportunity to improve our joint capabilities and learn from the operational experience of one of the most advanced air forces in the world.”
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