CAMP LARZAC, France — A contingent of Indian Army troops arrived in southern France on Tuesday to participate in the eighth edition of the biennial India-France Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI, the Indian Ministry of Defense said.
The joint exercise, held from June 18 to July 1 at Camp Larzac in La Cavalerie, aims to enhance interoperability, operational coordination, and military ties between the two nations. Both India and France have sent 90 personnel for the training event.
The Indian side is represented primarily by a battalion from the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, along with personnel from other arms and services. The French contingent includes soldiers from the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE).
Exercise SHAKTI-VIII focuses on joint operations in sub-conventional warfare scenarios under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. Training will take place in semi-urban terrain and will include tactical drills, the sharing of tactics and techniques, and the use of modern military technologies.
Beyond combat readiness, the exercise is designed to foster mutual respect, camaraderie, and professional exchange between the two forces. Indian defense officials say the event reflects growing defense cooperation and the strengthening of strategic ties between India and France.
The first edition of Exercise SHAKTI was held in October 2011 at Chaubattia in northern India’s Uttarakhand state. Since then, the exercise has been alternating between locations in India and France. Over the past decade, it has evolved into a cornerstone of Indo-French military engagement.
The previous edition took place in May 2024 at Umroi, in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya. That iteration focused on counter-terrorism operations and semi-urban warfare, themes that continue to be explored in the current exercise. Officials from both countries have emphasized the drill’s role in strengthening military-to-military cooperation and preparing both forces for peacekeeping and joint missions.
