INS TRISHUL PARTICIPATES IN 24TH EDITION OF INDIA–FRANCE BILATERAL MARITIME EXERCISE VARUNA

1. At a Glance

• VARUNA is the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the French Navy [1]. It began in 1993 and was given the name "VARUNA" in 2001 [2].
• For its 24th edition, INS Trishul reached Toulon, France, on 22 Sep 2026. The exercise had a harbour phase and a sea phase [1].
• It is the main operational naval part of the India–France Strategic Partnership. This partnership began on 26 Jan 1998 and was India's first with a Western nation [5].
• It matters for UPSC because of the Indo-Pacific, interoperability between navies, defence ties with France (Rafale-M, Scorpene), and Horizon 2047 [5].

2. Why in the News

• 01 Oct 2026: PIB reported INS Trishul's part in the 24th edition of VARUNA at Toulon. The ship arrived on 22 Sep 2026 [1].
• Sea phase: INS Trishul worked with FDA Forbin, FLF La Fayette, SNA Suffren, NH90 helicopters and Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft [1]. The drills were:
• anti-submarine exercises
• anti-surface exercises
• live firing

• cross-deck helicopter landings

• Harbour phase:

• The CO called on RAdm Mackara Ouk, Deputy Commander-in-Chief for Operations (CECMED) [1].
• The crew laid a wreath at the Mazargues War Memorial, Marseille, for 205 Indian soldiers who died in the World Wars [1].
• The crew visited the French ships Charles de Gaulle, Forbin and La Fayette [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 1993: The two navies began bilateral naval exercises [2].
• 1998 (26 Jan): The Strategic Partnership began. Its main pillars are defence and security, civil nuclear, and space [5].
• 2001: The exercise was named "VARUNA" [2].
• 2022 (30 Mar–03 Apr): 20th edition, held in the Arabian Sea [4].
• 2023 (16–20 Jan): 21st edition, held on the Western Seaboard [3].
• 2023 (13–14 Jul): The partnership turned 25. PM Modi was Guest of Honour at French National Day, and Horizon 2047 was adopted [5][6].
• 2024 (Aug–Sep): INS Tabar made a port call at Toulon, which included the harbour phase of VARUNA 2024 [5].
• 2025 (19–22 Mar): VARUNA 2025 included air defence drills with Rafale-M (France) and MiG-29K (India) and anti-submarine warfare drills with Indian submarines [2].
• 2026 (Sep): 24th edition, with INS Trishul at Toulon [1].

4. Core Static Facts

Abbreviations. These are standard French naval designations from general knowledge. They do not appear in the cited sources, so check them before relying on them.

• FDA = Frégate de Défense Aérienne (air-defence frigate)
• FLF = Frégate Légère Furtive (light stealth frigate)
• SNA = Sous-marin Nucléaire d'Attaque (nuclear-powered attack submarine)

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Geopolitical / Strategic

• In Feb 2026 the relationship was raised to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership", during Macron's visit of 17–19 Feb 2026 [5].
• The partnership now has a strong Indo-Pacific focus. It is guided by the India–France Indo-Pacific Roadmap (2023) and a Feb 2025 Joint Declaration of Intent on Triangular Development Cooperation [5][7].
• Holding the 2026 edition in the Mediterranean (Toulon) shows that Indian Navy deployments now reach beyond the Indian Ocean [1].

Security / Operational

• Training on anti-submarine warfare, live firing, cross-deck helicopter landings, and drills with a nuclear attack submarine (Suffren) builds interoperability at a high level [1].
• In VARUNA 2025, Rafale-M jets operated alongside MiG-29K jets [2]. This links to India's IGA for 26 Rafale-M aircraft (28 Apr 2025) [5].

Defence-Industrial / Technological

• Major projects:
• P-75 Scorpene: the 6th and last submarine was commissioned in Jan 2025 [5].

• 36 Rafale: deliveries were completed in 2022 [5].

• The Rafale-M IGA includes ToT for integrating Indian weapons, a Rafale fuselage production facility, and MRO facilities for engines, sensors and weapons in India [5].

• Safran–BEL JV to make the Hammer air-to-surface weapon in India. Safran also set up an M88 engine MRO in Hyderabad [5].

Historical / Cultural (soft power)

• The wreath at Mazargues honours the 205 Indian soldiers who died in the World Wars [1].
• In Feb 2025, PM Modi visited Marseille, opened India's Consulate General there, and paid respects to Indian soldiers of WWI [5].
• 2026 is the India–France Year of Innovation. It was launched in Mumbai on 17 Feb 2026 [5].

Diplomatic / Governance

• Both countries use a range of dialogues: the Strategic Dialogue, the Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, the 23rd Military Sub-Committee Meeting (New Delhi, 12–13 May 2026), and the 6th Annual Defence Dialogue (Bengaluru, 17 Feb 2026). At that dialogue they renewed the 10-year defence cooperation agreement [5].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• Jan 2025: The French Carrier Strike Group Charles de Gaulle visited India under Operation Clemenceau [5].
• Jan 2025: The 6th Scorpene submarine was commissioned [5].
• Feb 2025: PM Modi visited France and opened the Marseille Consulate [5].
• 19–22 Mar 2025: VARUNA 2025 was held [2]. In Mar 2025, India's role in AsterX moved up from observer to participant [5].
• 28 Apr 2025: IGA signed for 26 Rafale-M [5].
• 18 Jun–1 Jul 2025: Shakti 2025 was held in France [5].
• 12–29 Nov 2025: The 8th Ex-Garuda was held at Mont-de-Marsan with 6 Su-30MKI [5].
• 15–25 Feb 2026: MILAN 2026 was held at Visakhapatnam with a French Atlantique 2 [5].
• 17 Feb 2026: The relationship became a Special Global Strategic Partnership. The 6th Annual Defence Dialogue was held, and the 10-year defence agreement was renewed [5].
• 20 Feb 2026: French Navy Chief Adm Nicolas Vaujour attended the 9th IONS Conclave of Chiefs at Visakhapatnam [5].
• 31 Mar–06 Apr 2026: INS Sudarshini became the first Indian ship at Escale à Sète, marking 400 years of the French Navy [5].
• 22 Sep 2026: INS Trishul arrived at Toulon for the 24th VARUNA [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• India–France bilateral naval exercises began in 1993 and were named VARUNA in 2001 [2].
• The 24th VARUNA (2026) was held at Toulon, France, with INS Trishul [1].
• The harbour phase of VARUNA 2024 was held at Toulon with INS Tabar [5].
• VARUNA 2025 was held on 19–22 Mar 2025 and included Rafale-M and MiG-29K air defence drills [2].
• SNA Suffren, a French nuclear attack submarine, took part in the 2026 sea phase [1].
• The Mazargues War Memorial is in Marseille. It honours 205 Indian soldiers of the World Wars [1].
• The India–France Strategic Partnership began on 26 Jan 1998. It was India's first with a Western nation [5].
• Horizon 2047 was adopted in July 2023, on the 25th anniversary of the partnership [5].
• Relations were raised to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" in Feb 2026 [5].
• 26 Rafale-M IGA signed on 28 Apr 2025 for the Indian Navy [5].
• Garuda is the Air Force exercise and is held every two years. Shakti is the Army exercise. VARUNA is the Navy exercise [5].
• TRISHNA is an ISRO–CNES Earth observation mission. Do not confuse it with INS Trishul [5].
• 2026 is the India–France Year of Innovation [5].

8. What One Indian Frigate Can and Cannot Test Abroad

• India sent one ship. France fielded a full task group.
• In 2026 only INS Trishul went from India. France used two frigates, a nuclear attack submarine, NH90 helicopters and Atlantique 2 patrol aircraft [1].

• So the drills tested one Indian ship against a French team. They did not test an Indian fleet working with a French fleet.

• The real gain is practice in finding submarines

• Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) means finding and tracking enemy submarines.
• Trishul practised ASW against SNA Suffren, a nuclear-powered attack submarine (it can stay underwater for very long periods) [1].

• The Indian Navy gets few chances to hunt a modern nuclear submarine, so this is rare training.

• Each year's edition tests different things, so do not treat them as equal

• VARUNA 2025 used carrier jets (Rafale-M and MiG-29K) and Indian submarines [2].
• The 2026 sea phase had no Indian aircraft or submarine [1].

• In Mains, check which edition and which assets you mean before you say how 'deep' the exercise is.

• The words 'harbour phase' can mislead

• In 2024 INS Tabar's port call at Toulon is described as the harbour phase of VARUNA 2024 [5].
• A port call is mostly about meetings and goodwill. Building interoperability (the ability of two navies to work as one team using shared methods and signals) happens at sea.

9. Why the Navy's Budget Limits How Far It Can Sail

• The Navy's share of capital money fell for years
• Capital budget is the money used to buy new ships, submarines and aircraft. It is different from money for salaries and running costs.
• The Navy's capital budget fell from 12.8% of the total defence budget in 2012-13 to 7.5% in 2017-18 [9].

• The Standing Committee on Defence warned this could delay new capabilities and push up costs [9].

• The Navy asked for more than it got

• In 2016-17 the Navy projected a need of Rs 48,725.87 crore. It was given Rs 39,424.88 crore. The gap was Rs 9,300.99 crore [10].

• These are older figures. Use them to show a long-running pattern, not this year's position.

• Submarine plans have lagged badly

• The plan was for 18 submarines. Parliament was told the Navy had 15, and they were 16 to 30 years old [9].

• Under P-75 all six Scorpene submarines were first due by December 2017 [9]. The sixth was commissioned only in January 2025 [5]. That is over seven years late.

• Why this matters for exercises like VARUNA

• Every week a frigate spends in the Mediterranean is a week it is not on patrol in the Indian Ocean.
• A navy that is short of ships has to choose between showing the flag far away and guarding home waters. That helps explain why India sends one ship to France, not a group.

10. Does Rafale-M Make India Too Dependent on France?

• The concern, stated at its strongest
• India signed an IGA (Inter-Governmental Agreement, a deal made directly between two governments) for 26 Rafale-M jets worth about ₹63,000 crore [8].
• Add the six Scorpene submarines and 36 Rafale jets [5]. India's main naval fighter and a key submarine class both now rely on French design and support.
• The technology transfer (ToT) covers fitting Indian weapons to the jet, making the fuselage (main body) and MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) [5]. It does not cover designing the jet or its engine.

• The government itself calls Rafale-M a stop-gap until India's own Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is ready [8]. If TEDBF is late, the 'stop-gap' can become permanent.

• The reply, and what it gets right

• France was India's first strategic partner in the West, from 1998 [5]. The two have kept close defence ties for nearly three decades.
• Some real work is moving to India: a Safran–BEL joint venture to make Hammer weapons and an M88 engine MRO in Hyderabad [5].

• Shared jets and shared drills (Rafale-M with MiG-29K in VARUNA 2025 [2]) make it easier for the two navies to work together.

• Honest verdict

• The critics are right that buying from France is not the same as building in India.
• Rafale-M only helps self-reliance if TEDBF arrives on time. Working well with the French Navy is a real gain, but it does not replace Indian design skill.

11. What Each Side Should Do Next

• MoD should match the Navy's capital money to its plans
• The Standing Committee on Defence has already flagged that low capital share delays new ships and raises costs [9].

• Without more ships, India cannot keep sending ships far for exercises and also keep up patrols at home.

• DRDO and the Navy should treat TEDBF as the real test of the Rafale-M deal

• Rafale-M was bought as a stop-gap until TEDBF [8].

• A fixed and public timeline for TEDBF would stop the stop-gap from becoming permanent.

• The Navy should hold VARUNA where it serves the Indo-Pacific plan

• The 2023 India–France Indo-Pacific Roadmap gives the partnership its regional focus [7].

• Editions held in the Arabian Sea (2022, 2023) trained the two navies where India's own interests lie [3][4]. Mediterranean editions mainly build goodwill and reach.

• Use the existing ToT clause fully

• The Rafale-M IGA allows Indian weapons to be fitted to the jet [5].
• Using this clause fully would make the jet less dependent on French weapon supply.

12. Anchors for Answers

• Data: Navy's share of the defence capital budget fell from 12.8% (2012-13) to 7.5% (2017-18) [9]
• Data: Navy projection vs allocation in 2016-17: shortfall of Rs 9,300.99 crore [10]
• Data: 26 Rafale-M (22 single-seat, 4 twin-seat), about ₹63,000 crore; an interim fighter until TEDBF [8]
• Data: P-75 Scorpene: all six were first due by Dec 2017 [9]; the last was commissioned in Jan 2025 [5]
• Report/Committee: Standing Committee on Defence, reports on Demands for Grants (Navy capital budget and submarine force levels) [9][10]
• Comparison: VARUNA 2025 (carrier jets plus Indian submarines) [2] vs VARUNA 2026 (one Indian frigate against a French task group) [1]: the depth of the exercise depends on what India sends
• Scheme: Atmanirbharta in defence: Rafale-M ToT for fitting Indian weapons, Safran–BEL Hammer JV, M88 MRO in Hyderabad [5]

13. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: India and its neighbourhood / bilateral relations; agreements involving India; effect of developed countries' policies on India's interests.
• GS-III: Security challenges and their management; defence technology; indigenisation (Atmanirbharta).
• Possible question stems: 1. France has emerged as India's most reliable strategic partner in the West. Examine in light of recent defence and maritime engagements. (250 words) 2. Bilateral naval exercises like VARUNA serve as instruments of naval diplomacy beyond mere interoperability. Discuss with reference to India's Indo-Pacific outlook. (150 words) 3. Evaluate how India–France defence cooperation balances strategic autonomy with indigenisation goals. (250 words)

14. Related Topics to Study Next

• Horizon 2047 Roadmap: the long-term framework that sets the direction for VARUNA and defence ties.
• India–France Indo-Pacific Roadmap (2023) and the India–France–UAE trilateral: the regional strategy behind naval engagement.
• Rafale-M and P-75 Scorpene / P-75(I): the naval platforms behind interoperability.
• Exercises Shakti, Garuda, La Pérouse, MILAN: commonly confused with VARUNA in "match the exercise" questions.
• IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium): France is a member, and the 9th Conclave was held at Visakhapatnam in 2026.
• Indian soldiers in the World Wars / overseas memorials: Mazargues and similar memorials.
• ISRO–CNES cooperation (TRISHNA, maritime domain awareness): space support for maritime security.

15. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Exercise name mix-ups: VARUNA is Navy, Shakti is Army, Garuda is Air Force. Desert Knight and AsterX (space) are different again [5].
• Start year vs naming year: exercises began in 1993, but the VARUNA name came in 2001 [2].
• Wrong sea: the 2024 harbour phase and the 2026 edition were at Toulon, in the Mediterranean. The 2022 and 2023 editions were in the Arabian Sea / Western Seaboard [1][3][4][5].
• Partnership labels: Strategic Partnership in 1998, Horizon 2047 in 2023, Special Global Strategic Partnership in Feb 2026 [5].
• Similar-sounding names: INS Trishul is the ship; TRISHNA is the ISRO–CNES satellite mission. Charles de Gaulle is a carrier the Indian crew visited, not a participant in the 2026 sea phase [1].
• Ship class: INS Trishul's class (generally known as Talwar-class) is not stated in the cited sources, so verify it before using it in an answer.