• The Indian Navy is participating in a mega wargame along with naval forces from eight other nations.

• The naval exercise ‘La Perouse’ is underway in the straits between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean as well as Malacca, Sunda and Lombok.

• These straits are largely considered as very crucial for global maritime trade.

• Besides India, the US and France, naval forces from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada and the UK are participating in the exercise.

• The biennial exercise is conducted by the French Navy, and is aimed at enhancing maritime domain awareness and optimising maritime coordination amongst the participating navies.

• The first edition of La Perouse was conducted in 2019.

• The fourth edition of the exercise began on January 16.

• It aims to enhance cooperation among the participating nations in areas of maritime surveillance, interdiction operations, air operations and information sharing.

• The exercise provides an opportunity for like-minded navies to develop closer links in planning, coordination and information sharing for enhanced tactical interoperability.

• French Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, is the mainstay of the mega exercise.

• India’s indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer INS Mumbai is part of the exercise.

• The Australian Navy has deployed its frontline destroyer HMAS Hobart, while Canada has sent its warship HMCS Ottawa.

• The United States deployed combat ship USS Savannah, Malaysia sent destroyer FFG Lekir and its embarked helicopter and the vessel Gagah Samudera. 

• The United Kingdom is participating in the exercise with offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey and Singapore with the patrol vessel RSN Independence.

Who was La Pérouse?

Jean-François de Galaup, “comte de La Pérouse”, is one of the greatest French navigators and explorers. In 1785, La Pérouse was entrusted by King Louis XVI to lead an expedition around the world, with two frigates, the Boussole and the Astrolabe, to complete James Cook’s discoveries in the Pacific and study the possibilities of trade with the countries visited. This expedition through South America, Easter Island, Hawaii, Alaska, California, Macao, the Philippines and Australia tragically ended in the Solomon Islands in 1788. Another great French explorer, Jules Dumont d’Urville, discovered the remains of the wreck in 1826 on the island of Vanikoro.

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